Nuggets president Tim Connelly to meet with Wolves ownership

Nuggets president Tim Connelly is heading to Minnesota this weekend as the next step in the Timberwolves’ recruitment of him, a league source confirmed to The Denver Post. Connelly, who’s overseen the Nuggets since 2013, is planning to meet with Wolves owner Glen Taylor. ESPN first reported the development. With a stable organization, a reigning two-time MVP and a place where his family is comfortable, Connelly has no reason to leave the Nuggets. The only X-factor? Compensation. It’s believed the Timberwolves’ offer is more than double his current salary. Minnesota’s interest didn’t come out of nowhere. In fact, it was discussed when Connelly, team governor Josh Kroenke and coach Michael Malone all went to Serbia to surprise Nikola Jokic with his MVP trophy. News of Minnesota’s interest in poaching Connelly from Denver got out on Wednesday. Publicly, it’s been more than 48 hours since Denver’s ownership has had a chance to counter or ensure Connelly doesn’t even listen to Minnesota’s proposal. Privately, they’ve had far longer than that.
Source: Mike Singer @ Denver Post

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Dane Moore @DaneMooreNBA
I asked @Adam Mares earlier this week if the Tim Connelly to the Wolves deal goes down if he’d come on the pod.
Adam’s response: “What you want me to just cry for 30 minutes?”
Maybe jumping the gun a bit, but… On today’s show, I’m joined by Adam Mares.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/who… – 1:58 PM Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
The Wolves’ courtship of Tim Connelly is among the topics covered here via This Week In Basketball.
Remember: Denver has highly rated Calvin Booth in waiting. History says it lets Connelly grab the big money in Minnesota … like Masai Ujiri in Toronto:
marcstein.substack.com/p/one-sizzling… – 1:18 PM Ryan Blackburn @NBABlackburn
Not enough scathing things can be said about the cheapness of Nuggets ownership if Tim Connelly departs, and it’s about much more than just Tim’s salary. – 1:07 PM Michael Singer @msinger
#Nuggets president Tim Connelly flying to Minnesota to meet with Glen Taylor as the next step in their recruitment, sources say.
denverpost.com/2022/05/21/nug… – 11:59 AM Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
As talks progress on a massive deal to oversee the Minnesota Timberwolves’ basketball operations, Denver Nuggets president Tim Connelly traveling to meet with majority owner Glen Taylor this weekend. Story on ESPN: es.pn/3G7ce3A – 11:56 AM Christopher Hine @ChristopherHine
Denver’s Tim Connelly closing in on deal with Timberwolves; will meet with Glen Taylor. Here’s the latest: startribune.com/timberwolves-m… – 11:50 AM Jon Krawczynski @JonKrawczynski
Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have been driving the bus to make a high profile hire atop the front office. Glen Taylor has final say and has been supportive of his partners. The three have been working together on Tim Connelly. theathletic.com/3320881/2022/0… – 11:46 AM Michael Singer @msinger
Tim Connelly is planning to travel to Minnesota as part of the next stage in their recruitment, source confirms @Adrian Wojnarowski.
Regardless of whatever they offer, he’s not in a place where he’s eager to leave. It might, however, be overwhelming. – 11:15 AM Dane Moore @DaneMooreNBA
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 – 11:05 AM Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
ESPN Sources: Denver Nuggets president Tim Connelly is traveling to meet with Minnesota owner Glen Taylor this weekend in what’s the next step in the Timberwolves’ pursuit to hire Connelly and make him one of league’s highest compensated executives. – 10:43 AM Michael Singer @msinger
Not entirely surprising, but #Nuggets president Tim Connelly’s been radio silent with a lot of people close to him.
I strongly believe he doesn’t want to leave Denver, and I also think he’d stay if the Kroenkes could make him a competitive offer. – 5:43 PM Adam Mares @Adam_Mares
Casual Friday and we have a special musical act to open the show. Don’t miss it!
🇷🇸 Serbian Corner with @MiroslavCuk
Tiering all of Tim Connelly’s draft picks
Another fan attempts to climb The Steps
youtube.com/watch?v=Ix3m4y… – 3:30 PM Michael Singer @msinger
“This is awesome,” Tim Connelly said. “We’re at a gas station in Serbia right now, man!”
This is easily my favorite line of the story.
The #Nuggets wanted to surprise Nikola Jokic in Sombor with the MVP trophy. Here’s the backstory of how they did it.
denverpost.com/2022/05/20/nik… – 1:50 PM

More on this storyline

Harrison Wind: Stan Kroenke is one of the richest owners in the NBA, and all Tim Connelly wants is to be paid like a top president of basketball ops. That’s it. He doesn’t want to leave Denver. But he will make the right decision for him and his family. -via Twitter @HarrisonWind / May 21, 2022 Denver Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly is traveling to meet with Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor this weekend in the next step in the team’s pursuit to hire Connelly and make him one of the NBA’s highest-compensated executives, sources told ESPN. Connelly has discussed the job extensively with Timberwolves minority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez in the past week, and meeting with Taylor is next in the process, sources said. -via ESPN / May 21, 2022 Chris Hine: Connelly and Timberwolves inching closer to a deal. Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have had significant influence over the process, but Glen Taylor as current controlling owner still has the final sign off on any deal. -via Twitter @ChristopherHine / May 21, 2022