Denver Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly will reportedly meet with Glen Taylor this weekend as the Minnesota Timberwolves continue to lure one of the NBA’s top executives
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Connelly has already discussed the position with minority owners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore and a meeting with Taylor is the next step in the Timberwolves’ pursuit to hire him.
Connelly has spent the past nine seasons with the Denver Nuggets, turning them into a contender in the Western Conference. With two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., the Nuggets advanced to the Western Conference Finals in 2020 but have been bounced in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past two seasons.
While the Nuggets figure to be a contender, the Timberwolves may make him an offer he can’t refuse. Wojnarowski reports that Lore has led the recruitment of Connelly and is seeking to make him one of the highest-paid executives in the NBA.
That’s where things get interesting. Blue Wire Podcasts’ Dane Moore says that while Lore is driving the recruitment, Taylor would be on the hook for Connelly’s salary until Lore and Rodriguez take over majority ownership in 2023.
To summarize the Timberwolves + Tim Connelly situation as I understand it…
The proposed comp package is massive, driven by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. But they are not the majority owners — meaning Glen Taylor pays that $ through 2023. Thus Connelly headed to meet with Taylor
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) May 21, 2022
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson added that although Connelly will meet with Taylor, it is not expected to be “a roadblock” in the hiring process. Wolfson also said that Connelly could bring “someone with a name” from another team if he is hired by Minnesota.
Sachin Gupta is currently serving as the team’s interim general manager and is also being considered for the POBO role, but the Timberwolves’ recruitment of Connelly shows just how badly they want to make a splash after firing Gersson Rosas last September.
