Tim Connelly calls out cowardly peers afraid to take big trade swings

Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly is one of the NBA's best-known basketball executives. Connelly has a history of savvy moves that define his resume, including trading for Aaron Gordon and helping build the Denver Nuggets that won the 2023 NBA Finals. He's also made several savvy moves for the Minnesota Timberwolves, including orchestrating the trade that brought Rudy Gobert to the team and building the core that led to two Western Conference Finals runs.

In a recent interview with The Athletic , he criticized his fellow basketball executives for not taking big swings to build teams that could compete for a championship.

"If it doesn't work and it's my job, I'll get fired. That's fine. But I don't ever want to be in a position where we're reluctant to take big swings."

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He believes many fellow basketball executives are afraid to take risks and face heavy media scrutiny.

"My industry has become so risk-averse," Connelly said. "They're so concerned about real-time analysis (from the media). … In all reality, either you're trying to win, or you're chasing that…Occasionally you can rebuild in the years that present itself when you have a (Victor) Wembanyama or someone like that. But the frustrating thing about our league right now is that too many teams are trying to survive and trying to be in between."

He believes you don't stop building the best team until you hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

"Until you win the championship, you've just got to keep shuffling cards," Connelly said. "I don't think we can be fear-driven. One of the few upticks of having a team that doesn't have the proudest history is you shouldn't be afraid to swing."