But off the court, they’re in the middle of an ownership change that hasn’t exactly gone smoothly, and on Wednesday, news is breaking that they are also in the middle of a criminal investigation that led to the arrest of a former employee.

Former Timberwolves employee arrested for stealing Sachin Gupta’s hard drive

According to police records obtained by KSTP (Ch. 5 Eyewitness News), former “analyst” for the Wolves, Somak Sarkar, has been charged with third-degree burglary for entering Executive Vice President, Sachin Gupta’s office at Mayo Clinic Square and stealing a hard drive that was connected to Gupta’s computer.

On the hard drive, according to KSTP’s report, was sensitive information mostly related to basketball, including “employee and player contracts, strategic information, sensitive personal data like tax returns, bank statements and investment details, as well as usernames and passwords”.

Prosecutors charged 23-year-old Somak Sarkar with third-degree burglary in connection to the incident, which allegedly happened last month.

Then, on Feb. 3, Sarkar allegedly went into Gupta’s office when nobody else was around and took a hard drive connected to Gupta’s laptop.

Josh Skluzacek – KSTP

Gupta realized that his hard drive was missing, checked security tapes, and saw Sarkar entering and leaving his office. Real criminal mastermind stuff. The alleged thief didn’t just steal the hard drive. According to police records, he opened over 5,000 files on Gupta’s drive.

Related: Marc Lore, A-Rod Bring in New Investment Group to Close Purchase of Timberwolves

Following the investigation, Sarkar was fired. Earlier this week, he was arrested after police seized Gupta’s hard drive, along with several other hard drives, tablets and a computer from his house. Court documents reportedly show that Sarkar was in the process of being moved around the organization for (pretty much) not getting along with anyone and being a bad employee.

Court documents state that Sarkar worked as an analyst for the team until he was moved to a coaching group last summer because he was “butting heads” with his boss, failing to attend meetings and submitting code incorrectly.

Josh Skluzacek – KSTP

When questioned by police regarding the hard drive he allegedly stole from the Minnesota Timberwolves Executive Vice President, Sarkar said, he took it to “put some stuff on it”, then forgot to return it. Okay…

Problem is, top-tier Presidents of Basketball Operation aren’t standing on the street begging for work very often… or ever. To acquire such talent, the Timberwolves need to convince an already established PoBO to ditch his current organization, in exchange for an office at Mayo Clinic square, during Minnesota winters.

Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez put together a list of five POBOs to target shortly after purchasing the Timberwolves, sources say.

Originally Pat Riley was on that list. These are the most recent five names, sources say:
Tim Connelly
Masai Ujiri
Daryl Morey
Bob Myers
Sam Presti

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) May 19, 2022

Tall task? More like impossible. But that isn’t going to stop Lore and Rodriguez from trying. Latest reports have them highly interested in five of the league’s most established and respected front office leaders, and already in heavy discussions with Denver Nuggets President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly.

How to Acquire a Top PoBO via Hostile Takeover:

The other four executives of interest are Masai Ujiri (PoBO – Raptors), Daryl Morey (PoBO – 76ers), Bob Myers (PoBO – Warriors) and Sam Presti (GM – Thunder). Most of the reported candidates would be making lateral moves, to an organization collectively seen as a massive downgrade.

The Timberwolves are in serious talks with Denver Nuggets president Tim Connelly about the franchise’s vacant President of Basketball Operations role, sources tell The Athletic. The Timberwolves recently requested permission from the Nuggets to speak with Connelly, and the sides have moved beyond exploratory conversations, sources said.

The Athletic

How can the Timberwolves acquire an already active President of Basketball Operations from another organization? Great question. First, they will have to pay a lot of money. Like, a lot more than what said front office executive is making in his current, and cushy, chair.

Rumors also include a possible stake in franchise ownership. In his latest “The Scoop” episode, Darren Wolfson even mentioned the front office acquisition possibly costing future draft pick compensation. But no matter how it goes down, however, stealing another organization’s President of Operations is rather unchartered territory in the world of professional sports.

Minnesota Sports Fan Anxiety

And because of its unprecedented nature, especially for this market, many local fans and media members are nervous. Sachin Gupta is the obvious, and safe, choice for the job. He’s already been the acting as Wolves PoBO for an entire season.

Plus, Gupta is well-known enough (Trade Machine Guy) for this market, and he’s definitely respected in league circles. He’s paid his dues and is very deserving. Hell, give Sachin credit for getting the Minnesota Timberwolves organization to a level of internal peace and tranquility that we probably never seen.

Could this be a situation where new owners enter the fray trying to inject life at the wrong time, just to ruin what was going to be a good thing? Maybe… but front office talent doesn’t grow on trees. So if the Wolves can pull off a PoBO heist of an already established name, the payoff could be tenfold in the near future.

Tim Connelly's draft finds, the highest he's picked is 7th:

– Jamal Murray (7th)
– Michael Porter Jr. (14th)
– Jusuf Nurkic (16th)
– Malik Beasley (19th)
– Gary Harris (19th)
– Bones Hyland (26th)
– Monte Morris (51st)
– Nikola Jokic (41st)
– Jarred Vanderbilt (41st)

— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) May 19, 2022

Fortune Favors the Bold

How long have Minnesota sports fans been begging for more boldness and calculated risk out of their professional sports teams? How often have they fallen short of expectations in free agency, during trade seasons or when hiring new leadership?

We’ve become so accustomed to settling for ‘the best of the rest’ that swinging for the fences feels, somehow, unsettling. So, even if it’s only this one time, instead of allowing such anxiety to get the best of me, I’m going to take a deep breath, stand back and applaud Alex Rodriguez, Marc Lore, Glen Taylor and the Minnesota Timberwolves for their courage. With big risk, comes big rewards.

If A-Rod and Lore are willing to go this far for a top President of Basketball Operations, then imagine what they’ll be willing to do to in order to win at a high level. And as Minnesota sports fans, we deserve an ownership group finally willing to do WHATEVER it takes. Even if we haven’t realized it yet.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Hi everyone, I am sorry for writing to you so late. Something very important has come to light, however, and it needs immediate attention. The Sacramento Kings are on the hunt for a new “top basketball decision-maker” and they have reportedly narrowed their list of candidates down for second interviews. Included in those advancing, is Minnesota Timberwolves’ Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, Sachin Gupta.

ESPN Sources: Minnesota EVP Sachin Gupta, Houston assistant GM Monte McNair and former Atlanta GM Wes Wilcox are among those advancing to a second-round of interviews in Sacramento’s search for new top basketball decision-maker. All three will travel to Sacramento.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 13, 2020

Gupta seems like an obvious choice for any team who is looking for someone to lead a new-age front office that can be flexible in a variety of different ways. Before making such a big decision, however, I wanted to point out four major drawbacks too.

Eric, Gupta invented the ESPN Trade Machine and is known as one of the fastest-rising minds in the NBA!’ I know, I know… but I just feel like the whole story should be told and that’s what I’m all about.

So, here is why the Kings should avoid hiring Sachin Gupta away from the Timberwolves.

#1: Not a West Coast Guy

Sachin Gupta has a graduate degree from MIT (Massachusetts) in Computer Science. He’s worked in Bristol (CT) for ESPN, Philly with the 76ers, Detroit with the Pistons, and even some time with the Rockets in Houston. That was before he landed his job with the Wolves in Minnesota.

With all of that evidence piled up, I think we can safely say that Sachin Gupta hates the west coast. Thus, hiring and moving him there would be ill-advised, to say the least. Sure, he got an MBA from Stanford in 2013… but everyone makes mistakes.

#2: Only 1,300 Followers on Twitter

This should be a major warning sign to Sacramento Kings ownership. How can you hire someone for a job, as important as President of Basketball Operations (or something close to it), who has less Twitter followers than your neighbor kid who plays too many video games?

With all of the stock California puts into twitter opinions and clout, I’m not sure how the Kings would explain this hire to their fanbase.

#3: He’s Too Smart

As noted above, Gupta is an MIT graduate who got his degree in computer science, before turning that around and creating the ESPN Trade Machine, fresh out of school. Since then, he’s had a meteoric rise to stardom (not on Twitter though) among NBA circles.

If you’re the owner of the Sacramento Kings, are you sure you want someone this competent, this brilliant, working directly underneath you? Think about it… When you work with Sachin Gupta, you always know there is someone in the room who is smarter than you. Are you sure that’s something you want?

#4: Unfinished Business in Minnesota

Sachin Gupta was brought to Minnesota to help head one of the most progressive and new-age front offices in the history of the NBA.

He’s already helped make the impossible, possible, by helping to facilitate Andrew Wiggins to Golden State, for D’Angelo Russell. The process is far from over, though. The Timberwolves have made it clear, they want to trade the #1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, for a third and final piece to their future KAT + DLO puzzle.

Another Timberwolves trade of that magnitude could change the course of life as we know it for KAT, Russell and Wolves fans, alike. You don’t want to pull someone away from an unfinished project that big. It’s not fair to anyone involved.

No. Absolutely not. We‘re trying to land Devin Booker and change lives. Does Sachin Gupta not want to change lives? https://t.co/e1KCstOh18

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 13, 2020

At the end of the day, I can’t control what the Sacramento Kings do with their franchise and I would never tell Sachin Gupta not to advance his blossoming career. Nonetheless, I hope Kings’ ownership reads this before they make any rash decisions that could have such a negative effect on so many lives.

Do the right thing.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan