Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly speaks to the media during media day at Target Center.
Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Last week, a big change happened to the Minnesota Timberwolves after it was reported that co-owner Marc Lore sold his majority stake in the team and the Minnesota Lynx to Marc Stad for $4.5 billion.
Now, the question is what will happen to Tim Connelly, the Timberwolves' president of basketball operations? While Lore will stay as a minority owner, the arrival of Stad could have a huge impact on Connelly, who will enter the final year of his contract.
The Dallas Mavericks tried to hire Connelly a few months ago to fill the vacancy after the firing of Nico Harrison. Their pursuit, however, did not prosper. The Mavericks eventually went with Masai Ujiri.
According to The Stein Line's Marc Stein, it appears that Connelly will remain in his post with the Timberwolves even after the ownership change.
“Timberwolves lead roster decision-maker Tim Connelly is said to have a strong relationship with Stad. This figures to be key given that Connelly—after Dallas ultimately conceded in the spring that it would not be granted permission to pursue Connelly for its front office vacancy as the Mavericks had initially hoped—is entering the final year of his current contract in 2026-27 and needs a new deal,” wrote Stein on his Substack.
“The Wolves have won five separate playoff series over the past three seasons with star swingman Anthony Edwards, coach Chris Finch, and Connelly as their leading trio of influence.”
Stein noted that the NBA's approval process that will officially install Stad, who has a net worth of $5 billion, as the Timberwolves' majority owner might take until January.
It is too early to tell how hands-on Stad will be. But in the meantime, Connelly can stay focused on his job instead of looking over his shoulder and worrying about a new contract. He was hired by Minnesota in 2022.
The Timberwolves had a busy offseason, adding LaMelo Ball and letting go of Julius Randle and Naz Reid, in an effort to build a roster more suited for Edwards to maximize his prime years.