In the capacity of general manager Calvin Booth, the Nuggets possess a sensible internal successor for Tim Connelly should their present head of basketball operations decide to lead the Timberwolves‘ front office in Denver, as communicated by Marc Stein in his most recent Substack article. The Wolves are thought to be searching for a high-profile basketball executive and are supposedly pursuing Connelly.
Nonetheless, for the Nuggets, it’s not merely a matter of bidding Connelly adieu and elevating Booth, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post (all Twitter links), who mentions there is a substantial “anxiety” within the organization regarding the situation.
Connelly has had a notable influence on the Nuggets’ ethos, empowering coaches, personnel, and athletes while fostering a favorable workplace, as Singer expresses, stating that nobody wants him to depart and there are individuals under Connelly who have opted for reduced pay to remain with the squad. Furthermore, Connelly has garnered considerable trust from Denver’s players, encompassing Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, as per Singer.
Per Stein, some in the NBA are skeptical that Connelly will regard the Minnesota prospect more attractively than his existing position in Denver, where the two-time consecutive MVP is on the brink of inking a long-term contract. Nonetheless, if the Wolves proffer a notably higher salary or an ownership interest, Connelly will face a challenging decision. It will be intriguing to observe if the Kroenkes, the Nuggets’ proprietors, will step forward to keep him, as noted by Singer.
Below are a few additional front office and coaching pointers from the NBA:
- After previously asserting that Mike D’Antoni seemed to be well-positioned to secure the Hornets‘ coaching role, Stein mentions there has been some resistance to that declaration this week, as certain sources in coaching circles opine that team proprietor Michael Jordan might be hesitant to hire such an offense-first coach.
- Nets director of player development Adam Harrington is unlikely to return to the squad for 2022/23, as per Stein. Harrington has collaborated closely with Kevin Durant over the past three years, and his imminent departure was unforeseen, Stein adds.
- Kelly Iko of The Athletic identifies Rio Grande Valley Vipers coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah as a strong applicant for one of the vacant assistant positions on Stephen Silas‘ Rockets staff. A report this week indicated that Rockets assistant coaches Jeff Hornacek and Will Weaver will not return for the following season.
Image Source: Nikola Jokic @ Instagram
