Tim Connelly Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Danilo Gallinari And The Nuggets

April 12th, 2017 at 8:08pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Nuggets value Danilo Gallinari, but they’re taking a “wait-and-see approach” with him this offseason, Christopher Dempsey of Altitude Sports writes. The Italian has a player option, which is worth $16.1MM, on his contract for next season and should he turn it down, he’ll become a free agent. GM Tim Connelly wants to bring him back next season, but the executive acknowledges that there’s always unknown variables when it comes to free agency.

“I think it’s no secret we really value Gallo, both as a player and as a person,” Connelly said. “So, with free agency, if he does choose to opt out there’s a lot of unknowns. How does the market develop? What do the various teams look like that are chasing him? What does he want in terms of contract and years; all of those things will certainly play a role. It would be premature of me to guess. He’s a guy that we value, he’s had a great year.”

Connelly added that the organization would be happy if Gallinari decides plays next season under his current contract, but the team is also ready to compete for his services.

“He’s been here for a long time, one of our core guys,” Connelly said. “It’ll be interesting to see what happens this summer. Gallo loves Denver. And he’s a really, really good guy. If he doesn’t opt out, we’d be very happy with that. If he chooses to opt out, he’s certainly going to be one of our primary focuses. “

Gallinari has long been the subject of trade rumors. The Celtics had discussions with the Nuggets about acquiring the small forward last summer and then again this season, but no trade materialized. The Clippers and Raptors were also among the teams keeping tabs on the veteran this season.

Nuggets To Pursue Extension With Gary Harris

April 12th, 2017 at 4:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Gary Harris will be eligible for a rookie contract extension this summer and the Nuggets don’t want to waste any time locking him up long-term, Christopher Dempsey of Altitude Sports relays.

“Gary’s going to be here for a long, long time,” GM Tim Connelly said. “He’s a guy that kind of embodies everything that we’re trying to be, both as a player and as a person. Whether it’s this summer or whether it’s the following summer, he’s going to be here for a very long time.”

Harris, who was selected with the No.19 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, is averaging career highs in points, assists, and rebounds per game as well as 3-point percentage and overall field goal percentage this season. He’s become a core member of the Nuggets, someone who can contribute to the team’s goal of making the playoffs and competing for the title down the road. Connelly always envisioned Harris taking the necessary steps to elevate his game.

“Sometimes you have to go with your gut – 6-4, long arm, fast-twitch athlete with a nose for the ball defensively who can make shots and cares,” Connelly said. “I think you can get too lost at times in analytics and too lost at times not seeing the forest for the trees. Now, he’s taken a monstrous step.”

Community Shootaround: Denver’s Trade Chips

February 5th, 2017 at 2:44pm CST by Milo Taibi

Despite a 22-28 record, the Nuggets find themselves within striking distance of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Staked to a half-game lead in the eighth seed, Denver has outperformed expectations behind a breakout season from Nikola Jokic.

As Mark Kiszla pointed out in a Denver Post column, the Nuggets have a decision to make: pursue a No. 7 or 8 seed, or sell off their assets by the trade deadline? Wilson Chandler has been critical of his role (or occasional lack thereof) under coach Michael Malone, making him a logical trade candidate.

Malone firmly denied Emmanuel Mudiay‘s availability via trade, but several Nuggets remain viable trade chips; particularly Danilo Gallinari and Jusuf Nurkic. As of late January, Nurkic was rumored to be available in a package deal with veteran forward Kenneth Faried.

We know Nuggets GM Tim Connelly has a history of trade deadline activity; here’s what we want to know as February 23rd approaches…

Who would you like to see the Nuggets shop at the deadline? Would it be worthwhile for Connelly to keep his team intact while pursuing a playoff spot? Which team would be the most logical destination for Chandler?

Let us know in the comments section!

Josh Kroenke Praises Nuggets’ Direction

September 27th, 2016 at 5:21pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Despite only winning 33 games a season ago, the first under head coach Michael Malone, team president Josh Kroenke is extremely pleased with the direction that the franchise is headed in, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post relays. The executive said that this is the happiest with the state of the team he’s been since the 2012/13 squad that won 57 games and was the last Denver squad to reach the postseason, Dempsey notes.

“I feel very confident with the guys we have leading us on a daily basis,” Kroenke said. “I feel confident in the players in the locker room. I feel confident in the front office. I like the direction of the train. I like the speed and direction of the train. We needed to reinvent who we were last year, culturally, in our locker room as well as establish a new identity on the court. I think that historically we’ve always played fast here, and I think that that’s something we want to continue to do, but you can’t do it at the expense of your defense.”

Despite the team finishing fourth in the Northwest Division in 2015/16, Kroenke praised the job the Malone did in guiding what was one of the league’s youngest teams, Dempsey notes. “[GM] Tim Connelly and I, we have a bigger picture that we’re looking at, and I thought [Malone] did an outstanding job last year, with our young players, especially,” Kroenke told the scribe. “I thought Tim and the guys, over the last few years they’ve knocked it out of the park at the draft. I think if you’re drafting well, you’re always giving yourself a chance to compete, whether that’s improvement through trades or simply internal improvement.”

Kroenke displayed his faith in Connelly last season by extending his contract despite the team’s struggles since the GM took the helm, Dempsey writes. “I knew when I hired Tim in the summer of 2013 that we were going to have a good shot at nailing a few drafts. That ultimately takes years to come to fruition,” Kroenke said. “Being able to weigh the present while weighing the future is, I think, the toughest job general managers face based on the roster. And I think Tim and our staff has made very smart trades.”

While Kroenke didn’t guarantee that the Nuggets would reach the postseason in 2016/17, he did note that he expects to see improvement on the court, Dempsey relays. “I think this year is going to be a growth year,” Kroenke said. “Depending on where that growth heads at the end of the year, where we ultimately define success, I guess, is open to interpretation almost. But I’m glad to see that our players are focused on playoffs. I want those guys focused on building toward April. We want to be playing our best basketball on April 1, those last two weeks of the season leading into the playoffs. Then we’ll see where our record shakes out. I like our chances to hopefully leapfrog a team or two this year simply through our continuity and our internal improvement.”

Northwest Notes: Crabbe, Ezeli, Wade, Thibodeau

July 9th, 2016 at 10:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Blazers will have until Sunday at 8:59 p.m. Portland time — or 11:59 p.m. Brooklyn time — to decide whether to match the Nets’ offer sheet for Allen Crabbe, tweets Jason Quick of CSNNW. Crabbe, a restricted free agent, signed a four-year, $75MM offer from the Nets on Thursday. League rules give the Blazers three days to decide whether to match, and GM Neil Olshey isn’t offering any clues about his decision. (Twitter link). Crabbe is coming off his best NBA season, averaging 10.3 points in 81 games.

There’s more news from the Northwest Division:

Festus Ezeli‘s deal with the Blazers contained less money than expected because of concerns about his knees, tweets Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. The former Warriors center signed a two-year, $16MM contract with Portland on Friday, with a team option for the second season. Ezeli had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in February, and a source told Spears that teams are worried about his durability.
Even though they didn’t land free agent guard Dwyane Wade, the Nuggets came away from the pursuit feeling good about their future, tweets Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Nuggets officials had a meeting with Wade, and the team was considered a serious suitor until the Bulls came in with an offer. “It was enjoyable to hear what he thought about our situation,” said Denver GM Tim Connelly. “It was pretty encouraging.”
The Timberwolves are taking a cautious approach when it comes to free agency, according to John Krawczynski of The Associated Press (Twitter link). New Minnesota coach/executive Tom Thibodeau addressed the topic during a conference call with media members today. “It’s our first year; it’s important for us to be patient in evaluating the players that we do have,” he said, “but if it’s [necessary] for us to go after people, we will.” Thibodeau also expressed excitement about the addition of free agent Brandon Rush, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News. The coach likes Rush’s versatility, but says he needs to improve his shooting.

Nuggets Notes: Connelly, Arthur, Karnisovas

January 20th, 2016 at 2:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

Nuggets GM Tim Connelly, fresh off signing his extension Tuesday, said he plans an aggressive approach as the trade deadline nears and added that he doesn’t like to see the team, which lost Tuesday to fall to 16-26, as far below .500 as it is, as Matt Moore of CBSSports.com relays. Still, he cautioned that he doesn’t want to rush the process of building a contender and wouldn’t rule out trading for another first-round pick, Moore notes, even though the team is likely to have at least two and could have as many as four this June. Denver also has the right to swap picks with the Knicks. Rumors have linked the Nuggets to the unprotected pick that the Nets owe the Celtics, but indications are Boston doesn’t intend to trade that selection, Moore writes. See more from Denver:

Nuggets signees this past season lauded the culture that Connelly and his staff are building, and the extension was a sign that the franchise believes it’s found the right direction for itself after a 2014/15 that Connelly on Tuesday called an embarrasment, Moore relays in a separate piece. Denver is on track to succeed, though the missing piece is a superstar, Moore opines. “I think we’ve turned the corner,” Connelly said, “and now we have to be aggressive, opportunistic, but also patient.”
Darrell Arthur was one of the Nuggets who signed this summer in part because he liked where the Nuggets were headed, notes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, and retaining the power forward has paid dividends for the team this season, as Dempsey examines. That’s in large measure because Arthur has been healthy, Dempsey notes.
The Nuggets had been working on extensions for Connelly as well as assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas and others in the front office staff for months, according to Dempsey, who adds that the franchise has long intended to keep Connelly and his aides (Twitter link).
Denver is reportedly shopping J.J. Hickson while ex-Nuggets combo forward Kostas Papanikolaou has officially signed overseas. See details on those stories and more on our Nuggets team page.

Nuggets Sign GM Tim Connelly To Extension

January 19th, 2016 at 5:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nuggets and GM Tim Connelly have agreed to a multi-year contract extension, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Connelly’s front-office staff, including assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas, will also receive new contracts, sources told Wojnarowski. The Nuggets confirmed the extensions in a press release.

Connelly and his staff have earned the trust of Denver president Josh Kroenke as they work to reconfigure the roster under first-year coach Michael Malone, Wojnarowski continues. Through trades, Connelly has acquired three potential lottery-protected first-round picks over the next two drafts, Wojnarowski points out.

Connelly drafted center Jusuf Nurkic in the first round in 2014 and point guard Emmanuel Mudiay in the lottery last summer. During Connelly’s tenure since he replaced Masai Ujiri in 2013, he also traded for starting shooting guard Will Barton and reached extensions with small forwards Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler and power forward Kenneth Faried.

Connelly has focused on unearthing talent that others have overlooked and that strategy has led the Nuggets to draft many international players, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post recently reported. “We’ve put a lot of emphasis in international scouting. … We want to be very well informed with any player in the world,” Connelly told Dempsey. “Certainly the more well informed we are, hopefully we make better decisions. It just so happens that when we’ve selected guys, signed guys, traded for guys, we’ve had a pretty big international influence.”

Connelly was the Pelicans’ assistant GM for three years prior to joining the Nuggets. He came through the ranks with the Wizards, working for that franchise for 10 years.

“Over the past few years Tim, Arturas, and the rest of our front office staff have worked tirelessly in reshaping our roster and our entire organizational vision for the future,” Kroenke said in the release. “Whether through the draft, trades, or free agency, we have an excellent mix of players and are extremely well positioned moving forward.”

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Jazz, Thunder

January 9th, 2016 at 9:17pm CST by ChrisCrouse

GM Tim Connelly has focused on finding talent that others have overlooked and that strategy has led the Nuggets to draft many international players, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post writes. “We’ve put a lot of emphasis in international scouting. … We want to be very well informed with any player in the world,” said Connelly. “Certainly the more well informed we are, hopefully we make better decisions. It just so happens that when we’ve selected guys, signed guys, traded for guys, we’ve had a pretty big international influence.”

The Nuggets employ one of the league’s top international scouting staffs, which is something that didn’t happen by accident. Connelly spent time early in his career as an international scout and the team’s assistant GM, Arturas Karnisovas, is a former FIBA Europe player of the year. Denver has one of the most international-heavy rosters in the league, which could make communicating with the team problematic, but first year coach Mike Malone doesn’t see it as a deterrent. “I don’t care where you’re from,” Malone said. “If you can play, I’m a fan of yours.”

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Jazz have an open roster spot as a result of waiving Elijah Millsap, and David Smith of The Deseret News believes the D-League has a few guards that could help the team. Smith names Sean Kilpatrick, Erick Green and Jimmer Fredette among the possible candidates. However, Utah seems to have a lack of interest in Fredette, as Jody Genessy of The Deseret News reported earlier this week.
The Thunder should look to the trade market to find a veteran backup point guard, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders opines. D.J. Augustin has fallen out of the rotation and while Cameron Payne has shown promise, rookie contributors on title contenders are rare, and the team should look to shore up the position, Greene adds.

Pete D’Alessandro Leaves Kings For Nuggets

June 12th, 2015 at 6:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 6:38pm: D’Alessandro has been officially named as the Nuggets’ Senior Vice President of Business and Team Operations, the team announced in a press release. “As KSE has evolved as a company, my role and duties within the company have evolved as well,” team president Josh Kroenke said. “Pete’s addition to our Operations team is a natural product of that evolution and his experiences over his professional career have put him in a unique position to assist me in multiple areas ranging from league operations to team budgeting. I look forward to his assistance in creating additional synergy between our Business and Team Operations to help take our organization to another level on and off the playing floor. All Basketball Operations remain the same and all Player Personnel inquiries should continue to be directed to [GM] Tim Connelly.”

1:57pm: D’Alessandro’s move back to the Nuggets wouldn’t have a negative effect on Malone’s candidacy, sources tell Wojnarowski for a full story. D’Alessandro wouldn’t be working closely with whomever the team hires as coach, according to Wojnarowski, who writes that Kings owner Vivek Ranadive forced D’Alessandro into dismissing Malone as Sacramento’s coach.

D’Alessandro, who went as far as to talk contract terms with St. John’s, will answer to Kroenke in his job with the Nuggets, and Connelly will be able to consult him as a resource, Wojnarowski writes.

WEDNESDAY, 12:14pm: Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro has accepted an offer to join the Nuggets front office, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. He’ll work in a supporting role under team president Josh Kroenke with both the Nuggets and the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter links). Nuggets GM Tim Connelly is apparently on board with the idea, as Wojnarowski refers to him in another tweet as a “huge proponent” of the move. D’Alessandro, who worked for the Nuggets until leaving for the Kings two years ago, had the opportunity to join St. John’s University as athletics director but chose to return to Denver instead, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link).

The move is an ominous sign for the candidacy of Michael Malone for the Nuggets coaching job, notes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee (Twitter link). D’Alessandro was in charge of Sacramento’s front office when the Kings fired Malone in December. The Kings hired Vlade Divac as vice president of basketball and franchise operations in March, shifting control of player personnel to him and away from D’Alessandro. The departure of adviser Chris Mullin for the St. John’s coaching job reportedly restored some power to D’Alessandro, but it nonetheless appears as though it wasn’t enough to convince him to stay in Sacramento.

The now 46-year-old D’Alessandro served in Denver’s front office under GM Masai Ujiri for three years after he was the assistant GM for the Warriors for three seasons prior to that. The Nuggets were reportedly leaning toward hiring him as GM in 2013 when he instead jumped to the Kings.

Draft History: Tim Connelly

May 29th, 2015 at 8:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The 2015 NBA draft is a little less than a month away, and for teams that aren’t still participating in the NBA playoffs, the focus is on using that event to build toward a better future. Now that the NBA Draft lottery is complete, the speculation can truly begin as to which player each franchise will pin its hopes on for the future. Of course, having one of the top selections in any draft doesn’t guarantee that a team will snag a future All-Star. Team executives and scouts still have the difficult task of making the correct call with their picks.

With this in mind we at Hoops Rumors will be taking a look back at the draft history of the primary basketball executive for each NBA team. Their names, reputations, and possibly employment will be on the line as a result of the decisions to come on June 25th, and we’ll be examining what they’ve done in previous years in charge of a club’s front office. Note that many of them have played other sorts of roles within a team’s executive structure, but this won’t take that into account. We’ll continue on with a look back at the calls made by Nuggets GM Tim Connelly.

Nuggets (June 2013-Present)

2013 Draft

No. 46 Overall — Erick Green*: 43 games, 3.4 PPG, 0.7 RPG, and 0.9 APG. .377/.298/.833.
No. 55 Overall — Joffrey Lauvergne**: 24 games, 3.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 0.5 APG. .404/.188/.643.

*Acquired from Jazz along with cash in exchange for the No. 27 overall pick (Rudy Gobert).

**Acquired from Grizzlies along with Darrell Arthur in exchange for Kosta Koufos.

Notable players passed over or available at draft slot: Gobert (No. 27).

2014 Draft

No. 16 Overall — Jusuf Nurkic*: 62 games, 6.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.1 BPG. .446/.000/.636.
No. 19 Overall — Gary Harris*: 55 games, 3.4 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.5 APG. .304/.204/.745.
No. 41 Overall — Nikola Jokic: No NBA regular season appearances.

*Acquired from the Bulls along with a 2015 second-rounder in exchange for the No. 11 overall pick (Doug McDermott) and Anthony Randolph.

**Traded the No. 56 overall pick (Devyn Marble) and Evan Fournier to the Magic in exchange for Arron Afflalo.

Notable players passed over or available at draft slot: McDermott (No. 11), Zach LaVine (No. 13), Rodney Hood (No. 23), K.J. McDaniels (No. 32), and Jordan Clarkson (No. 46).