Minnesota Timberwolves team owner Glen Taylor is meeting with Tim Connelly, the Denver Nuggets president of basketball operations, this weekend in the team’s continued quest to bring him into the front office, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Saturday.
The Timberwolves want to make Connelly one of the league’s highest-paid executives, per the report.
Connelly has reportedly already met with Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, who became minority owners of the Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx last year and has “discussed the job extensively” with them.
The next step is meeting with Taylor, who purchased majority ownership in 1994.
Lore is set up to be the controlling owner in 2023.
He has been the one recruiting Connelly and making “a case for their partnership,” Wojnarowski reported.
Connelly has reportedly been in regular contact with Nuggets governor Josh Kroenke and the Timberwolves reportedly received permission to discuss the job with him.
Connelly has been the Nuggets president since 2013, when he replaced Masai Ujiri.
Ujiri left for the Toronto Raptors role.
Connelly has been heralded as a top talent evaluator, dealmaker and relationship builder.
He got his start as an intern in the Nuggets’ basketball operations department.
He brought two-time MVP Nikola Jokic to Denver with the 41st overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft.
The Nuggets reached the playoffs each of the past four seasons but has yet to make the NBA Finals under his leadership. They reached the Western finals in 2020.
As the No. 6 seed, they lost to the No. 3 seed Golden State Warriors in five games in the 2022 first round.
Tim Connelly turned down the Washington Wizards’ offer to become president of basketball operations in 2019.
He grew up in nearby Baltimore and worked in the front office of the Wizards for several years.
The Timberwolves fired president Gersson Rosas in September ahead of training camp opening.
Sachin Gupta is serving as the interim president while executing his role as vice president of basketball operations.
The Timberwolves finished 2022 as the No. 7 seed in the West and had a 46-36 record.
They are set up for good success with Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way.