The spotlight beams down on Tim Connelly after every transaction the Minnesota Timberwolves make. When the Wolves got off to a slow start after trading for Rudy Gobert, fans questioned Connelly’s decision. Many were initially crushed when he traded Karl-Anthony Towns.
At the same time, Connelly also receives all the praise when one of Minnesota’s signings, trades, or draft selections pans out, which has happened almost every time since the team hired him in 2022.
All of that makes sense. Connelly’s job title is President of Basketball Operations. He may be the president of a multi-billion-dollar franchise, but he doesn’t always think like a businessman. He also isn’t making the big decisions that define his career by himself.
There are many different minds in every NBA front office, but the circle of those who make the final decisions is small. Within the circle in Minnesota is Matt Lloyd, whom the Timberwolves promoted to general manager last year. Connelly and Lloyd have had a similar rise up the front office ranks. They’ve known each other for over two decades. Now, they form a front office duo running the Timberwolves better than ever before.
Connelly is the president; Lloyd is the general manager.
There is a difference between these roles, but it can be confusing to understand because some teams only have a general manager, without a president. Other teams have a president who also acts as the GM. For example, Nico Harrison is the president and GM of the Dallas Mavericks. Rob Pelinka holds both positions with the Los Angeles Lakers, as does Sam Presti with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
On 9 to Noon last week, Paul Allen asked Lloyd how his position differs from Connelly’s. “I act in complete and total support of him constantly,” said Lloyd.
Connelly is Lloyd’s “boss,” but the two of them work closely together. As we know, Connelly isn’t afraid of making the moves that change his team’s trajectory. He’s already done it twice in Minnesota. An aggressive, and maybe sometimes overzealous, leader in professional sports is good. They can’t be afraid of making risky moves, which Connelly certainly isn’t.
Even the hair-raising moves that Connelly and his staff pull off aren’t without much consideration, calculation, and preplanning — far more than fans could ever imagine. Connelly has his sights set high, and Lloyd plays off of that well.
“We complement each other pretty well,” said Lloyd. “I have OCD for details, and he has big vision. He’s 30,000 feet in the air. … Our relationship grew because we were kind of kindred spirits in many ways. We have the same sense of humor. We enjoy the same things.”
Connelly and Lloyd’s relationship dates back to the early 2000s. According to RealGM, Connelly got his start in the NBA with the Washington Wizards in 1996. They hired him as a Basketball Operations Intern. In 2000, Washington promoted him to a scout, a position he held until 2004.
Lloyd was also a scout at the time, working for the Chicago Bulls.
“I’ve known Tim Connelly for about 25 years,” Lloyd said on KFAN. “We actually sat together at DePaul games as junior scouts in 2004, 2005 … Our relationship has grown over the years.”
Over two decades after attending a game at DePaul together as scouts, Connelly and Lloyd still sit together at Timberwolves games, usually about midway up in a lower-level section.
“When he got the job here, I was in Orlando as the Assistant GM,” said Lloyd. “He asked me to come. One thing led to another, and last year I was promoted to GM.”
Through the relationship that Connelly and Lloyd have built, they’ve become transparent with each other. Their minds work in different ways, and they use that to their advantage. They can openly and comfortably hold the difficult conversations that their profession revolves around.
“Our relationship is such that we can have those kinds of conversations,” said Lloyd. “And we know at the end of the day that when we make the decision together, we walk out of the door, the whole group walks out of the door, and we are supporting the decision that is made. It applies to the draft. It applies to free agency. It applies to working with players.”
The importance of relationship building with players is an underappreciated aspect of Connelly’s role. His trades, signings, and draft selections will ultimately define his career. But having an open, genuine, and positive relationship with players is the grease that allows a team to run smoothly. Above all the transactions Connelly makes, the communication he has with his team is probably his most important intangible.
“He’s … the best I’ve ever seen at messaging the players,” said Lloyd. “Part of the reason we’ve had such success these last three seasons that we’ve been here, heading into our fourth, is his ability to message the players. He and Anthony have such a great relationship because he is constantly infusing the players with positive energy. Every day he walks in as a good day.”
Like Connelly, who is always quick with a joke and a smile, Anthony Edwards is also a constant source of positive energy. They have grown close since 2022. Connelly even dressed up as Edwards at a Halloween party last season.
Timberwolves president Tim Connelly dressed up as Anthony Edwards for Halloween
pic.twitter.com/qFcXgTkfF0
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) October 31, 2024
Connelly has always been open and genuine. He drove to KAT’s house shortly after they traded him to New York, informing him of the news minutes before it hit social media. Connelly also kept in close contact with Naz Reid and Julius Randle this offseason, locking deals up with both players early in the summer.
He possesses all the attributes necessary to be a great President of Basketball Operations. I would also imagine that he is a joy to work with. There were rumblings last season that Connelly could depart this summer with two years left on his contract. However, with ownership in place, Connelly is exercising his contract option and remaining in the Twin Cities.
There really isn’t any reason for Connelly to leave. He likes living in Minnesota. He’s close with his players and coaches. He is the frontman of a team that aspires to contend for a championship for many years to come. He’s the face of every transaction.
He also clocks in to work with a front office that is only getting better after the Timberwolves hired new CEO Matthew Caldwell, a proven winner who has hoisted two championships as the President/CEO of the Florida Panthers.
Sitting amongst fans in the lower-level seats, Connelly and Lloyd are brother-like coworkers watching the high-level product they helped produce. They chat, sometimes shooting the breeze like close buddies. Just as easily, they can strike up an open, more serious conversation.
“He’s more like a brother or a close cousin,” said Lloyd. “And he happens to be my boss.”