Tim Connelly Wraps Up the Timberwolves’ 2024-25 Season

Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly spoke to the media on Monday about the previous season, his future with the franchise, and the upcoming offseason.

Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly held a press conference on Monday to tie a bow on the 2024-25 season. The conversation was wide-ranging as he discussed his contract status moving forward, his feelings on the previous season, and their plan heading into the offseason.

Connelly opened by giving his overall thoughts on how the past season went.

“It’s been a really fun year. Obviously it didn’t end the way we had hoped, but super proud of the guys, the coaches, the entire organization. It’s always painful when the season doesn’t end as the last team, but I thought we accomplished a lot this year. We continue to build off a really strong foundation and I’m super excited for next season.”

With an opt-out in his contract looming this offseason, the conversation shifted to what Connelly’s plan is with his contract and whether or not he plans to continue running the Wolves into the future.

The Timberwolves’ POBO didn’t dance around the issue, saying how much he’s enjoyed his time in Minnesota both with the team and in the community while joking that the media won’t be getting rid of him just yet.

While not outright stating what his contract status will look like after this offseason, it was clear from Connelly’s demeanor and how he answered questions that he is not planning on leaving the Timberwolves anytime soon.

Connelly’s future with the Timberwolves will likely be cemented when Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez are officially named as owners when the NBA’s Board of Governors votes to approve the sale of the Wolves to them from Glen Taylor. That vote is expected to come sometime this month.

Next, Connelly was asked about the future of Julius Randle, Naz Reid, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, all of whom are likely to become free agents this offseason. The Wolves’ president expressed optimism that they could bring everyone back, specifically noting how each player has enjoyed playing with the Wolves.

Connelly also spoke about how often he has been in contact with the potential free agents, specifically mentioning Reid as someone he has had consistent conversations with.

“We talk constantly. Especially with Naz, it’s neat doing it a second time and we have a relationship where I can say anything to him and he can say anything to me. You’ve got to be honest with guys. We’re not trying to win deals. We’re trying to build a really good basketball team filled with really good guys and reward them for their strong play and who they are as individuals. Those conversations have been constant, all are extremely positive. Who knows what’s going to happen, but we’re certain that both sides want the same thing and, generally, those things work out.”

One of the factors in attempting to retain Reid this offseason will be his role with the team. When Naz spoke to the media for his exit interview, he mentioned that he believes he is a starting-caliber player, while acknowledging that players often have to make sacrifices to win at the highest level.

Connelly spoke about whether or not he believes the team can retain both Randle and Reid, given that they likely will not both be able to be in the starting lineup in that scenario.

“Yeah, again, I would tell if I was optimistic even if I was lying to you, but we’re pretty optimistic. Those guys are really really good players who play really really well together. They really like the coaching staff. I mean, Naz is a cult hero here, for good reason. So we have nothing but positive indicators that both of these guys will be in Wolves jerseys.”

The next topic was the NBA draft, where the Wolves have both the 17th and 31st picks. Connelly discussed the possible routes the organization could go with those picks, whether they want to draft a young player or go the trade route and acquire a rotation-ready player.

The Timberwolves president closed out his media availability by discussing the huge trade that occurred before last season, which saw franchise cornerstone Karl Anthony-Towns sent to the New York Knicks.

“Yeah, it was a win-win. It’s funny – I text with KAT and I probably get more emotional watching their games than our games. Because KAT had such a great playoffs and such a great year in New York. I’m not a believer in there’s one winner and 29 losers. I think too often that’s the narrative we all run with. I told that to our team after the game. The Knicks had the best year they’ve had in 25 years. So it was really fun to watch.”

The direction that the offseason will take for the Timberwolves is still unclear. They could opt for a roster shakeup after being beaten badly by the Oklahoma City Thunder. What is clear is that Connelly doesn’t feel that the series against OKC should be the reason for the Wolves to divert course from where they are currently headed.

While not immune to an unlikely seismic trade, see the KAT trade above, Connelly did mention that continuity is something he views as important.

“Given my druthers, I’m always kind of airing on the side of continuity. Patience in professional sports is largely non-existent. Those organizations that can show patience tend to have a really high level of success. But patience shouldn’t lead to risk aversion. There’s something that if we have to shake it up and make us a better team, we’re certainly open to that.”

This offseason will be a pivotal one for the Wolves. They have many players that could potentially leave, veteran players who may be on the backside of their career, and a monumental young superstar, Anthony Edwards, who needs to be supported with the proper roster, as he has in the past few seasons.

At many points in Wolves’ history, these factors would be warning signs for potential disaster, but with Connelly at the helm, Chris Finch by his side, the ownership situation finally resolving, the Timberwolves are as well set up to capitalize on the opportunity to build a championship-caliber team.