MN Timberwolves President Pushes Back Against Rumors

The 6-seed Minnesota Timberwolves are riding high today, after bouncing the 3-seed Los Angeles Lakers from the Western Conference playoffs in just five games, making quick work of Luka, LeBron and their overmatched, top-heavy roster.

How big of a deal was Wednesday’s win? Well, the MN Timberwolves have advanced beyond the first round of the NBA Playoffs just three times during its 36 years of NBA existence, and that now includes two straight first round wins.

Last spring/summer, the Wolves advanced all the way to the West Finals. This year, they now wait for the winner of Warriors vs Rockets (GS leads 3-2), who play game six of their round one matchup on Friday night. Of course, this team looks a bit different than that West Finals team that lost to Dallas last year.

Just before the start of the training camp, Wolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly made the extremely difficult decision to trade Karl-Anthony Towns, amid luxury tax concerns.

While it took a while for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to find their footing in Minnesota’s new-look rotation, Connelly looks like a genius after the LA series, where both guys played a crucial role in the Wolves’ defeating the Lakers.

Tim Connelly speaks on his future with the Minnesota Timberwolves

No matter how this run ends, the Wolves have a lot of questions that need answered this offseason. Randle has a player option that will dictate a lot of their roster decisions. But the biggest contract controversy hanging over the franchise this offseason is actually Tim Connelly’s.

He signed a one-year extension last offseason, that pushed his decision one more year into the future. This year, he’s expected to make a longer-term decision. Now that the ownership controversy is mostly settled, what will one of the most coveted front office executives in the league going to do?

Well, if you take Tim at his word… he isn’t going anywhere. At least, that’s what he told KFAN’s Dan Barreiro on Thursday afternoon, after the Minnesota Timberwolves won their series vs the Lakers.

Tim Connelly on rumors of him going to other teams after this season:

“There is no truth to any of those things. I could not be happier. Working with unbelievably great people, from the players, the coaches, and the ownership. Alex, Marc, Glen, Becky — everyone's been… pic.twitter.com/pyJ8ZtXnlv

— Wolves Lead (@TWolvesLead) May 1, 2025

“There is no truth to any of those things. I could not be happier. Working with unbelievably great people, from the players, the coaches, and the ownership. Alex, Marc, Glen, Becky — everyone’s been fantastic. We are very, very happy where we are.”

Tim Connelly – KFAN Radio

Related: What We Learned About the MN Timberwolves in Series Clinching Win Over Lakers

Obviously, it wouldn’t be in Connelly’s best interest to publicly state during a playoff run that he has wandering eyes. However, his willingness to publicly go on the record and bluntly say that there “is no truth to any of those rumors” does speak volumes.

He could have weaseled his way through that answer without declaring so bluntly that he wants to stay. In all reality, It’s unlikely Tim Connelly would find another opportunity out there with a superstar building block like Anthony Edwards.

Timberwolves await next challenger

As the Minnesota Timberwolves transition into a new ownership regime, keeping Connelly onboard is key to reaching the main objective of winning an NBA Finals Larry O’Brien Trophy. Then, this offseason, with so much in flux, there’s nobody better to see it through than Tim.

Related: NBA Insiders: JJ Redick Was Not Ready for the Moment vs Timberwolves

If the Wolves can land Golden State, it would have all the storylines, but it might be the worst matchup possible, even with home court. Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green easily provide the toughest test Minnesota has seen thus far in the playoffs.

Houston finished with a 52-30 record this season, but their stars are younger and they’ve gotten it done with a deep bench, much like what the Timberwolves have. Either way, however, you have to like the Timberwolves’ chances after what they showed in round one.