Tim Connelly

Last updated

Tim Connelly
Minnesota Timberwolves
PositionPresident of basketball operations / General manager
League NBA
Personal information
Born Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Career information
College Fordham University & Catholic University

Tim Connelly (born May 15, 1976) [1] is an American basketball executive who is the president of basketball operations of the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He previously worked for the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Hornets, before becoming president of basketball operations at the Denver Nuggets. He served for the Nuggets from June 2013 onwards, until May 23, 2022, when Connelly agreed to a five-year, $40 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves to take over in the same role within the organization. [2]

Contents

Early life

Tim Connelly was raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up with four other brothers and two sisters. After attending Fordham University in New York, Connelly transferred to Catholic University in Washington, D.C. for his junior year. [3]

Executive career

Washington Wizards

In his junior year, Connelly wrote to Chuck Douglas, the director of college scouting for the Washington Wizards. He became an intern for the Wizards in 1996 in the basketball operations department. He became an assistant video coordinator in 1999. Connelly became a full-time scout in 2000, and was promoted to the director of player personnel. During his tenure with the Wizards, Connelly worked under NBA legend Wes Unseld. [2] [4]

New Orleans Hornets

In 2010, Connelly joined the front office of the New Orleans Hornets. He became assistant general manager under Dell Demps. Connelly's duties included scouting, trade negotiations, player contracts, and draft preparations. [2]

Denver Nuggets

On June 17, 2013, Connelly was named as the executive vice president of basketball operations and general manager of the Denver Nuggets. He replaced former NBA Executive of the Year, Masai Ujiri. [2] On June 15, 2017, it was announced that Connelly would be promoted to being the team's president of basketball operations for the purpose of retaining assistant general manager Artūras Karnišovas as the team's general manager. [5] After years of missing out on the playoffs, Connelly and Karnišovas would help lead the team to the 2019 NBA playoffs, after previously missing out the first five seasons under his guidance.

In 2020, Connelly finished in ninth place for the Executive of the Year Award. [6]

In 2021, Connelly was responsible in part for bringing over Aaron Gordon and JaVale McGee. [7] [8] [9] [10] Connelly claims to have asked for permission from All-Star Center Nikola Jokić before accepting the Gordon trade. [11] Following the trade, Connelly said “The whole idea of trading people is really kind of gross to me...It doesn’t sound right. It doesn’t sit well with me...we have to acknowledge we’re in a different place than we’ve ever been. The playoff success last year, I think, speaks to what we’re capable of. I think we have the best coach in the league. I think we have the best player in the league. These guys have organically grown together and proven that they can beat anybody when we’re playing our brand of basketball.” The Nuggets won the 2023 NBA Finals with the core that Connelly built.

Minnesota Timberwolves

On May 23, 2022, Connelly was hired by the Minnesota Timberwolves as the president of basketball operations. [12] He was reportedly signed to a 5-year, $40 million contract by the Timberwolves. On July 6, 2022, Connelly traded five picks and five players for a 4-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winner Rudy Gobert. [13]

Personal life

All four of Connelly's brothers, Pat, Joe, Dan, and Kevin, work as scouts or managers in the NBA or college basketball. Pat was previously the assistant general manager of the Phoenix Suns, while Joe works for the Washington Wizards in player development, Dan is an advanced scout for the Utah Jazz, and Kevin runs a scouting service for high school players. Connelly is a fan of the Baltimore Ravens and Baltimore Orioles. Connelly is married to wife, Negah. They have three children. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denver Nuggets</span> National Basketball Association team in Denver, Colorado

The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team was founded as the Denver Larks in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association (ABA) but changed their name to the Rockets before the first season. The Rockets then changed their name again to the Nuggets in 1974. After the name change, the Nuggets played for the final ABA Championship title in 1976, losing to the New York Nets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Timberwolves</span> National Basketball Association team in Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The team was founded in 1989. Its majority owner is Glen Taylor, who also owns the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx. The Timberwolves play their home games at Target Center, their home since 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flip Saunders</span> American basketball player, coach and executive (1955–2015)

Philip Daniel "Flip" Saunders was an American basketball player and coach. During his career, he coached the La Crosse Catbirds, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, and Washington Wizards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calvin Booth</span> American basketball player (born 1976)

Calvin Lawrence Booth is an American basketball executive and a former professional basketball player who currently serves as the general manager of the Denver Nuggets.

Robert "Rob" Babcock was an American basketball executive. He served as a Vice President of Basketball Operations with the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA, and also as general manager of the Toronto Raptors from 2004 to 2006.

Artūras Karnišovas is a Lithuanian professional basketball executive and former player. He is the current executive vice president of basketball operations of the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Scott Layden is an American former general manager for the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the son of former coach and general manager of the Jazz, Frank Layden, and a graduate of Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, where he studied Business and Sports Management. Layden was the general manager for the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2016 to 2020.

William Mervin McKinney III is an American former professional basketball player, former radio broadcaster, and the current mayor of Zion, Illinois. Due to his quickness he was nicknamed "The Crazed Hummingbird".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masai Ujiri</span> Nigerian-Canadian sports executive

Masai Michael Ujiri is a British-born Nigerian/Kenyan-Canadian professional basketball executive and former player who is the president of the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The 2013–14 Denver Nuggets season was the 47th season of the franchise, and its 38th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Nuggets struggled for much of the year, finishing with a 36–46 record, missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team City of Gods</span> Basketball team in Baltimore, Maryland

Team City of Gods are an American basketball team that has participated in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), a winner-take-all single-elimination tournament. The team advanced to the TBT 2015 semifinals, beating tournament favorite Boeheim's Army, before falling to eventual tournament champions Overseas Elite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malik Beasley</span> American basketball player (born 1996)

Malik JonMikal Beasley is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended Saint Francis School in Alpharetta, Georgia, where he was a four-star recruit. He played one season of college basketball for the Florida State Seminoles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarred Vanderbilt</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Jarred Jakobi Vanderbilt is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected as a McDonald's All-American in high school. Vanderbilt played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. He was selected by the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troy Brown Jr.</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Troy Randall Brown Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In his senior year of high school, Brown was named a 2017 McDonald's All-American. He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks.

The 2017–18 Denver Nuggets season was the 42nd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). On June 15, 2017, the Nuggets officially promoted both Artūras Karnišovas and Tim Connelly to become the team's newest general manager and president of basketball operations respectively. On December 2, 2017, the Nuggets would retire Fat Lever's number during their 115–100 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite compiling their first winning season since 2013, they missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a win-or-go-home situation in the regular season finale, also ending the Timberwolves' 14-year playoff drought.

The 2019–20 Memphis Grizzlies season was the 25th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 19th in Memphis.

Gersson Rosas is a basketball executive who is Senior Vice President Basketball Operations of the New York Knicks. Rosas is the NBA’s first Latino President and General Manager of Basketball Operations. Rosas was the president of basketball operations of the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was previously the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Houston Rockets, where he worked for 16 seasons, and served under Daryl Morey. Rosas was briefly GM of the Dallas Mavericks. Over 21 seasons in the NBA, Rosas' organizations have reached the NBA playoffs in 14 of those seasons. He has also worked for Team USA Basketball as an international scout since 2015.

The 2019–20 Denver Nuggets season was the 44th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the franchise's 53rd season of existence overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wes Unseld Jr.</span> American basketball coach (born 1975)

Westley Sissel Unseld Jr. is an American professional basketball coach who is a front office advisor for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the son of Basketball Hall of Fame player, coach, and executive Wes Unseld.

References

  1. ↑ Lopez, Aaron (June 21, 2013). "Getting to know Denver Nuggets executive Tim Connelly". NBA.com. Retrieved April 3, 2019. Connelly, 36, was named General Manager...
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Nuggets name Tim Connelly executive VP of basketball ops". Denver Nuggets. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  3. ↑ "NBA family tree from Baltimore's Connelly brothers is growing". tribunedigital-baltimoresun. June 22, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  4. ↑ Alex Kay. "Tim Connelly Reportedly Hired by Denver Nuggets as General Manager". Bleacher Report. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Denver Nuggets Promote Tim Connelly and Arturas Karnisovas". NBA.com. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Los Angeles Clippers Lawrence Frank wins Executive of the Year, Tim Connelly places ninth". October 8, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Denver Nuggets' president, coach reflect on bittersweet trade deadline". March 26, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Nuggets president Tim Connelly on landing Aaron Gordon, JaVale McGee: The five most noteworthy quotes". March 26, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Tim Connelly explains recent moves and says there might be more -". March 27, 2021.
  10. ↑ Robbins, Nick Kosmider and Josh. "Denver Nuggets trade for Aaron Gordon from Orlando Magic". The Athletic.
  11. ↑ "Denver Nuggets GM Tim Connelly: We Sought Nikola Jokic's Approval Before Aaron Gordon Trade". April 12, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Minnesota Timberwolves Name Tim Connelly as President of Basketball Operations". NBA. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Jazz trade Rudy Gobert to Wolves in multi-player deal". NBA.com .
  14. ↑ "NBA family tree from Baltimore's Connelly brothers is growing". tribunedigital-baltimoresun. June 22, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.