If the Los Angeles Lakers were eyeing a pivot off Rob Pelinka amid another ownership change, there was one name on a Western Conference rival that immediately stuck out as an excellent candidate. That would be Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.
Connelly has done a great job with the Timberwolves during his time as lead decision-maker. While working within the confines of limited resources, the front office exec has managed to build and regularly refresh a team that has remained competitive in a tough Western Conference.
The Lakers are not the only franchise undergoing a changing of the guard in ownership. The Timberwolves are as well. Marc Stad is taking over as the controlling owner in Minnesota. Due to that reason, any vision of Connelly succeeding Pelinka in Los Angeles has become far less doable.
Marc Stein reported: "Tim Connelly is said to have a strong relationship with Stad. This figures to be key given that Connelly ... is entering the final year of his current contract in 2026-27 and needs a new deal."
Tim Connelly may not be gettable for the Lakers after Timberwolves sale
The Timberwolves have dealt with the unfortunate reputation of having cheap ownership regimes at the helm. Glen Taylor was certainly no stranger to that label. Even the group led by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez did not quite shed that descriptor.
In circumstances such as those, it is always impressive to see someone thrive within the means. Connelly did just that. That should continue to make him a popular candidate to many rival franchises when it comes to filling their vacancies, especially if they can provide him more to work with.
Organizations are unlikely to stop calling altogether to inquire about whether they can lure Connelly away from the Timberwolves. Stein also pointed out an instance of that happening in his report, referring back to the Dallas Mavericks' pursuit before they landed on Masai Ujiri instead.
Should Connelly get his new contract with the Timberwolves, Stad could deter those interested franchises from calling for the immediate future.
That brings us back to why the Lakers may have been among them. It is no secret that Pelinka's rise within the franchise has largely been tied to Jeanie Buss. If Buss loses her battle against her brothers and their minority stake is sold off, her position as governor could be a thing of the past.
At that point, any judgment on Pelinka and the work he has done could be much more swift. Rob was the architect behind the Luka Doncic retool. If new owners coming in and deem it insufficient, there may be a wandering eye to who his replacement could be. Go ahead and scratch Connelly off that list.
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