Tim Connelly is not begging. He is not flattering. He is putting his roster on the table and telling LeBron James to look at it.
Minnesota’s president of basketball operations spoke publicly Tuesday about the Timberwolves’ pursuit of the four-time MVP, and his message was refreshingly light on desperation.
“The recruitment is just this team,” Connelly said, via The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. “Obviously, he’s an unbelievable player. Whatever decision he makes is going to be the right one. There’s a lot going on. When you’re as great as he is, you should have optionality. When you look at our team, it’s hard not to be excited about what we have.”
That is a general manager who did his homework and knows what he is selling.
Connelly followed up with a line that should not get lost.
“I like who we are and we’re pretty proud of who we are,” Connelly said. “Hopefully that’s appealing, not just to LeBron, but to any free agent.”
This is Tim Connelly saying the quiet part out loud. Minnesota does not need LeBron. Minnesota wants LeBron. The pitch is not “come save us.” The pitch is “come win the ring you cannot win anywhere else.”
The context matters. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported at Summer League on Monday that James is focused on the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers, though five teams remain in the mix. Minnesota is one of those five. Golden State is another. On Tuesday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin added that Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown are all directly recruiting James to Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, Minnesota is doing something different. The Timberwolves just acquired LaMelo Ball from Charlotte in the trade that changed the Western Conference. A LaMelo, Anthony Edwards and LeBron core with Rudy Gobert protecting the rim is one of the most fascinating fits in the league. Ball’s off-ball scoring, Edwards’s downhill attack and LeBron’s playmaking would eat opposing defenses alive.
The Timberwolves have never won an NBA title in their entire history. Every other James suitor already has one. Cleveland has 2016. Miami has multiple. Philadelphia has 1983. LA has plenty. If LeBron picks Minnesota, he is chasing a piece of history that literally does not exist yet in that city.
That is exactly the pitch Connelly is quietly making. Come do something that has never been done here. Do it with Ant, who worships you. Do it with LaMelo, who plays your kind of pace. Do it in a place that is stable, well-run, and ready.
The problem is timing and geography. James is 40. His family lives in Los Angeles. His son Bronny will not be following him wherever he goes. Uprooting for Minneapolis to chase a fifth ring at the tail end of your career is a hard sell when Miami, Cleveland and Philadelphia are also on the table.
Still, do not sleep on this. Connelly built Denver’s championship roster before defecting to Minnesota. He has a track record of putting together contenders that other executives dismiss until it is too late. The Nuggets people said he could not do it. He did. The Timberwolves people say he cannot do it. He might.
LeBron’s decision is reportedly coming this week. If he picks the Wolves, no one should be surprised. Connelly saw it coming.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
