No NBA executive has been more aggressive than Tim Connelly since taking over as Timberwolves president of basketball operations in 2022, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Connelly has pulled off at least one major trade in each of his seasons on the job, including the widely debated deals for Rudy Gobert and LaMelo Ball. Krawczynski notes that approach is unusual in a league where a lot of executives would rather stay cautious and preserve their jobs.
“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.”
Minnesota’s front office has kept swinging after back-to-back trips to the Western Conference finals in 2024 and 2025, followed by a second-round exit in the 2026 playoffs. That set up another overhaul this offseason, with Julius Randle and Naz Reid sent out in the blockbuster deal for Ball.
Connelly put it plainly: “Until you win the championship, you’ve just got to keep shuffling cards,” he explained. “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. … 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.”
The Wolves are also hoping Ball can help unlock another step from Jaden McDaniels. Krawczynski wrote in a separate Athletic story that team officials believed Ball’s arrival could raise McDaniels’ ceiling, and the early preseason returns have been strong.
McDaniels, who said earlier this fall that he wants to become an All-Star, has put up 47 points in just under 60 minutes across three games. He’s shooting 66.7% from the field and 75.0% from three.
In Denver, Spencer Jones is still working his way back from a left hamstring strain. Nuggets head coach David Adelman said Tuesday, via Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette, that Jones remains limited to non-contact work. Once he’s cleared for contact, he’ll still need to get through 1-on-1, 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 drills, so his return doesn’t appear close.
The Nuggets’ second unit is also taking shape around Tyus Jones. Benedetto reports that Jones, who finished the 2025/26 season in Denver, is expected to be the “driver” of the bench group even though several reserves are new this fall.
Teammate DaRon Holmes praised the veteran point guard’s steady influence: “Tyus does such a great job of getting everybody open, getting everybody involved,” Holmes said. “He’s a leader.
He’s a talker. You need guys like that on your team.
That’s why he’s been in the NBA for such a long time, because he does it at such a high level.”
Out in Portland, Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon met with several local business leaders and government officials before Monday’s exhibition against the London Lions, according to Bill Oram of The Oregonian. Oram described those gatherings as a possible setup for more “substantive and pointed” talks next week. The city and the Blazers are negotiating with Dundon in an effort to finalize funding for renovations to the Moda Center and keep the franchise in Oregon for the long haul.
In Other News...
Joan Beringer Is Giving The Wolves One Big Reason To Worry
Joan Beringer has given the Timberwolves a useful preseason glimpse of what he might become, and the early returns are hard to ignore. In limited minutes, he has flashed real value around the basket, averaging 7.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while giving Minnesota the kind of interior activity teams can lean on when the game gets physical.
The concern, though, is just as clear. Beringer is also averaging three fouls in about 17.6 minutes, and for a team that may need him more as Rudy Gobert gets older and potentially gets managed more carefully, that kind of whistle trouble can become a real issue. Minnesota does not have much room to spare in the frontcourt, so how quickly Beringer learns to defend without sending people to the line could shape how much trust he earns early on. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bulls Guard Now Faces A Brutal Question About His NBA Future
Rob Dillinghams path from highly regarded draft prospect to uneasy NBA afterthought has moved faster than anyone in Minnesota likely expected when the Timberwolves took him eighth overall in the 2024 draft. A standout at Kentucky, Dillingham arrived with real intrigue as a guard who could score and create, but the transition to the league has been rocky, with his size and defensive limitations making it difficult for him to carve out a stable role.
Now without an NBA contract after being traded twice and waived by three teams, Dillingham has become part of a larger leaguewide conversation about young guards who look better on the draft board than they do once the games count. NBA draft analyst Rafael Barlowe and other scouts have started revisiting whether the initial evaluation oversold his upside, or whether teams today simply have less patience for players who need time to develop, leaving Dillingham facing a much harsher question than he did on draft night. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Overhaul Looks Tied To A Locker Room Problem
A moody atmosphere around the Timberwolves locker room last season helped explain why the teams offseason has felt so determined to reset the vibe as much as the roster. According to an insider cited by The Athletics Jon Krawczynski, Julius Randle and Naz Reid were among the players contributing to that tension, which puts Minnesotas personnel moves in a different light as the front office looks for not just talent, but a better day-to-day fit.
The swap that sent Randle to Brooklyn in a three-team deal brought LaMelo Ball to Minnesota, and the early read is that he adds a more upbeat, energetic presence. That matters for a team trying to move past the complaints of last season, especially after a recent win over the Knicks in which Anthony Edwards scored 26 points and Ball chipped in with 10 points and seven assists, a reminder that the Timberwolves are hoping the change can show up on the court as well as in the room. [Read more 🡒]