Tim Connelly was honest. He was blunt. More than anything, he was authentic during his introductory press conference in 2022, where the Minnesota Timberwolves announced him as their new President of Basketball Operations.
Connelly was the new kid on the block after spending the previous nine seasons in the Denver Nuggets’ front office. He didn’t sugarcoat anything as he sat next to his new bosses, Alex Rodriguez, Marc Lore, and Glen Taylor.
“The best chance that we have to make this a destination city,” Connelly said, “[is] we have to be realistic. There are certain players who aren’t going to want to come to certain parts of the country. There’s a reason these coastal cities have a leg up. But what you can help develop … is your culture in your organization and the wins and losses.”
“Hopefully, word spreads that this is where you are going to come to be treated right.”
From the outset, Connelly recognized the importance of establishing a culture. He knew that Minneapolis would never have the same free-agent appeal as Los Angeles or Miami. Still, that didn’t mean the franchise couldn’t build a winning culture with a roster full of talent.
Three years after Connelly’s press conference, the Timberwolves have reached the Western Conference Finals twice, and Connelly has solidified the franchise’s culture. Thanks to him, Minnesota’s future is as bright as the downtown lights of LA or the radiating sun in Miami, and the team’s vibes have reached unforeseen levels of joy.
That’s not just because of how Connelly has constructed the roster. It’s also a mindset he has to make the business side of the NBA feel more like a family-run operation.
Connelly has completely overhauled the Timberwolves roster over the last three years. Of the 18 players who finished the year on Minnesota’s roster in 2022, only three remain in 2025. Connelly knows you have to give up talent to receive it, and he has never been afraid to pull the trigger on big moves.
It’s the nature of the league. Franchise-altering moves happen more often in the NBA than in any other professional league. Ultimately, the NBA is a business. And like any business, it all comes down to money. The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement forces executives now more than ever to make difficult, salary-driven moves. It’s why the Wolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns when they did.
For as long as Connelly is the lead man in an NBA team’s front office, salary caps, luxury taxes, and luxury aprons will confine him. It’s the business side of the profession, but that doesn’t mean that Connelly always acts like a businessman.
“You’ve got to be honest with the guys,” he said regarding contract negotiations. “We are not trying to win deals, we are trying to build a really good basketball team full of really good guys, and reward them for their strong play and who they are as individuals.”
Friday evening, Naz Reid agreed to a new five-year, $125 million contract extension with the Timberwolves. He averaged career highs last season in points (14.2), rebounds (6), assists (2.3), field goal attempts (11.5), three-point attempts (5.8), and minutes (27.5). Reid had a $15 million player option waiting for him this summer, which he opted out of to sign his new deal.
Reid could have opted out of his player option and gauged his free agent market, but that never happened — Connelly made it a priority to keep his core pieces in place. He wasn’t going to so much as entertain the idea of letting Reid get away.
Julius Randle also had a player option this summer. On Sunday, he agreed to a new three-year, $100 million contract extension with the Wolves. That’s more annually than what his $30.9 million player option for next season would have been. Connelly stayed true to his word and rewarded Randle’s strong play to close the regular season with a lucrative deal.
The Reid and Randle deals are the fourth and fifth long-term deals that Connelly has orchestrated. The first was signing Towns to a four-year, $224 million supermax contract in 2022, which ultimately led Connelly to trade him two years later. He also signed Edwards to a five-year, $250 million contract, McDaniels to a five-year, $136 million contract, and now Reid and Randle.
Edwards, McDaniels, and Reid’s salaries will tie up roughly just under 60% of Minnesota’s cap over the next four years annually, firmly establishing what Connelly hopes to be the Timberwolves’ long-term core. Add Randle into that mix over the next three years — a window in which the Wolves should act urgently to win a championship — and the four account for an estimated 77% of Minnesota’s total cap.
Julius Randle's energy on the bench since his injury has been euphoric. Watching him grow closer with this team has been a lot of fun. Have to remember — he was unexpectedly tossed onto a new team days before training camp.
The vibes are back, folks. https://t.co/jBOAci17M0
— Charlie Walton (@CharlieWaltonMN) February 9, 2025
While a groin injury benched Randle for one month during the regular season, fans saw him naturally grow closer to his teammates. After an early-season debacle in Toronto, the Wolves became a cohesive unit, embodying the franchise’s tight-knit, family-like culture on the court.
“They’ve been close since I got here,” Finch said in February regarding McDaniels and Reid’s relationship, in particular. “It really started in the summers. They would spend the summers here. They almost never went anywhere … They would work out all the time together … And then they kind of came of age at about the same time on the floor, too.”
The Brooklyn Nets could have paid Reid, a New Jersey native, more than the Wolves. Brooklyn could also have given Reid a starting role immediately, something the Wolves can’t. However, Reid didn’t want to leave Minnesota. He cares about the fans too much. He’s far too close with his teammates. He also has a uniquely close relationship with Connelly.
“We talk constantly,” said Connelly during his exit interview. “Especially with Naz, it’s neat [negotiating a contract] with him the second time, really having the relationship where I can say anything to him, and he can say anything to me.”
Connelly, a businessman by nature of his trade, connects with the team in a way that makes the franchise feel like a big family. After a game in 2022, Edwards called Connelly his best friend while draping his arm around the “businessman” before poking fun at Connelly for not inviting him over for dinner.
“That’s a lie,” Connelly responded in a brotherly tone.
At a team Halloween party early this season, Connelly dressed up as Edwards, sporting wrap-around shades, an Atlanta Braves hat, and a pair of AE 1s.
Timberwolves president Tim Connelly dressed up as Anthony Edwards for Halloween 😂💀 pic.twitter.com/qFcXgTkfF0
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) October 31, 2024
Reid and Connelly sat down for lunch together a few weeks ago. Randle and Connelly probably did the same, or perhaps they met over the phone. While they talked, Connelly was likely honest with both players, emphasizing that he wasn’t looking to “win” a potential extension and wanted them to remain in Minnesota long term.
$225 million later, Connelly didn’t “win” either deal. Instead, he paid market price, maybe even a little bit more, to reward Reid and Randle’s contributions with contracts that make them feel appreciated.
For as rich as Reid’s new deal is, he could have left Minnesota for more. However, he showed no desire to do so, speaking volumes to the culture Connelly has built by his uniquely human approach.
Minnesota will likely never be a free agent destination like Los Angeles or Miami. Still, the Wolves have a core that should keep them contending for a championship for many years to come. By locking down that core, Connelly has spread the word — the Timberwolves, for as long as he is pulling the strings, are a team that will treat its players right.