Roundtable: How would a Tim Connelly departure affect the Nuggets?

Will Tim Connelly stay in Denver or leave town to take the president of basketball operations with the Minnesota Timberwolves? He’s currently in the process of making a decision. But if he leaves, how would his departure affect the Nuggets? What would it mean for this roster and Nikola Jokic? How would a Calvin Booth-led administration operate differently from the Connelly regime? DNVR Nuggets discusses.

What would be the ripple effects felt within the Nuggets’ organization if Connelly took the Wolves’ job?

Adam: The correct answer is that we simply don’t know. But I suspect that there would be a lot of ripple effects that are felt for the next several years. Immediately, Calvin Booth (GM) and Tommy Balcetis (assistant GM) would have to figure out a way to navigate the most complicated and pressure-filled offseason of the Nikola Jokic era. From the upcoming NBA draft, to free agency and trade season, to signing Jokic to a supermax, the two would have to acclimate quickly to new roles.

But the real effects might not be felt until the following year or two. Tim Connelly played a large role in cultivating and maintaining a healthy culture in Denver. Will that culture remain once he’s gone?

Harrison: If Connelly leaves, it’s the end of an era. The culture that he built within the Nuggets, the family-like atmosphere that he fostered over the last seven years, it’s immediately different the second he walks out the door. The Nuggets have a start-up feel to them in many ways. They’re anti-corporate, and Connelly’s the biggest reason why. I don’t know what exact changes Calvin Booth would make if he’s put in charge — I think that’s the most likely scenario — but there’s just going to be a different feel in the building and around the team if Connelly isn’t there.

Those will be the most immediate ripple effects that are felt. I think the Nuggets’ philosophy would slowly change however when it comes to everything. That happens to an extent when any new executive takes over but I don’t feel like Connelly and Booth are cut from the same cloth. That could end up being a good thing, who knows. But it won’t be the same. The types of players the Nuggets target in the draft, in free agency, in trades, and how they fill out the roster, it will all most likely be coming from a different line of thinking. I bet Booth would be much more willing to trade his more longer-tenured players than Connelly was.

Vogt: It’s so hard to know. Connelly would be leaving the Nuggets with one of the very best players in the world, and most of the starters are locked down long-term. A vision change may not be a disaster, but it’s a potential shift in culture that’s concerning. Shit hit the fan in these last two seasons, yet the Nuggets mostly held together, and kept their eyes on the light at the end of the tunnel. The stability has felt almost palpable in his tenure, and I’m skeptical that would be the case without him. Denver is a relatively desirable destination for basketball folk right now, and Tim gets credit for a lot of that.

How big of a deal would losing Connelly actually be?

Adam: I think it’d be huge. It’s difficult to say whether or not Booth would be a great replacement. We simply don’t know what kind of leader he is, let alone decision maker. But history tells us that most rookie GMs without previous experience in a lead role require growing pains. The Nuggets are smack dab in the middle of their title window. There is no time to stumble or miss out on opportunities. That is almost certainly an unfair burden to place on Booth.

Harrison: Massive. Connelly is arguably the best drafter in the entire NBA. In fact, he’s been such a good drafter that he’s traded Portland its starting center (Jusuf Nurkic) and two key role players to Minnesota (Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt), simply because Denver had too much depth at the time. He’s made some sneaky good marquee trades and free-agent signings too. Acquiring Jerami Grant for a 1st round pick was a great trade, until Grant blindsided Denver a year later and left at the stroke of midnight in free agency. The Gary Harris, RJ Hampton and a 1st round pick for Aaron Gordon looks like a homerun of a trade too.

The Nuggets have to do everything in their power to put a championship-winning roster together this summer. There are big roster decisions to be made. That’s a lot to put on a rookie top decision-maker in Booth.

Vogt: We’re on the Nikola Jokić ride in Denver, but Tim Connelly is the next most important piece to the current iteration of the Denver Nuggets. He’s fallible and replaceable in theory, but that’s easier said than done. Beyond the culture talk, he’s mainly been good at his job. The rebuild happened on Jokić’s huge shoulders, but it also happened without lottery luck. Tim’s hit on enough difficult picks to earn a new reputation league-wide. Someone is going to pay him what he’s worth eventually, and he’s worth a hefty sum.

How much blame would fall on the Kroenkes if Connelly left?

Adam: A lot. All of it. The Kroenkes have not proven to be winners in the NBA, nor have they proven to be invested in the well-being of the city of Denver and Nuggets fans. The team is not currently carried by Comcast. The team has lost a large portion of the fanbase over the last decade despite having the franchise’s all-time best player. The practice facility is a joke. And their reputation of being unwilling to spend to keep talented people in coaching and front office roles would be cemented if they lose the man most responsible for jumpstarting the golden era of their franchise. Losing Tim would be nothing short of damning for the Kroenkes.

On the flip side, ponying up a real salary while also committing to improving the organization around the edges would be an enormous boost to the Kroenke’s reputation. We’ll see just how much they care.

Harrison: If Connelly leaves Denver for Minnesota and the reason is strictly money, I’m not sure if the Kroenkes will ever recover here. It’s another huge mark against them after the now 3-year Altitude/Comcast dispute. We’ll see how deep they dip into the luxury tax this season. But if they dare try to escape it or there are moves made that show they’re attempting to not dip too far into it, that’s another strike. Still no practice facility either. The Nuggets are still not run like a first-tier NBA franchise. Connelly masked some of that just because he was able to create such an organic atmosphere and culture here.

Vogt: This is the second team to approach Tim with an offer enticing enough to produce a ripple in the news, and both teams offered worse gigs from a basketball perspective. Connelly has the two-time MVP on his roster, and they’ve got their eyes set on the ultimate prize. There should be no conversation about Tim leaving here, but there is one. Two even. And that’s because the Kroenkes were happy to underpay the right man for the job.

Investing in the organization extends far beyond the luxury tax. A strong owner invests in every facet of basketball operations, from the front office to facilities and down the list. Ownership has earned no benefit of the doubt in that regard. They’ve never invested in the Nuggets. The team isn’t even on local television. If Tim walks, they’ll take the blame regardless of what’s fair or what information becomes available to the public. You have to earn that trust, and I’m not even sure they care for it.