Popular Pistons Front Office Target’s Future Plans Revealed

With the Detroit Pistons taking their front office hire in a different direction, the Minnesota Timberwolves can focus on locking in Tim Connelly long-term.

Jun 28, 2022; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly answers questions about Walker Kessler at a press conference to introduce the 2022 draft picks at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports | Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

When the Detroit Pistons put together a search for a new front office leader, they had eyes on Minnesota Timberwolves executive, Tim Connelly.

Considering Connelly’s contract could allow him to explore other options as early as this summer, it seemed there was a strong chance he could give the Pistons a look.

For Detroit, Connelly would’ve been an excellent addition. In his last stop with the Denver Nuggets, Connelly helped build a team that won the NBA title just a season ago.

This season, Connelly’s Minnesota Timberwolves finished as the Western Conference Finals runner-up. The Timberwolves are widely expected to continue competing at a high level for seasons to come with their current core group.

The Pistons took their search in a different direction. After showing interest in Connelly and a handful of other candidates, Detroit landed on Trajan Langdon to take over as the organization’s President of Basketball Operations.

With the Pistons out of the Timberwolves’ hair, what’s next for the highly-touted Connelly? It looks like a long-term commitment from the Wolves is in play.

“He has some days here to make a decision on his option,” said NBA Insider, Shams Charania said earlier this week. “The expectation around the league, I'm told, is that Tim Connelly will end up in a restructured deal, a renegotiated deal. [The Timberwolves] understand his market value has gone up. He helped architect the team that won in Denver, then this team in Minnesota becomes a championship contender. … I think everyone around the league expects Tim Connelly to get a new deal in Minnesota.”

It turns out, Connelly and the Timberwolves have worked out a new deal.

On Tuesday, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Connelly and the Timberwolves have agreed to a new deal, keeping him around for at least next season.

Meanwhile, the Pistons still have work to do on the front office front, even after hiring Langdon.

As the new President’s first order of operations was forming a separation from the General Manager, Troy Weaver, the Pistons are now on the hunt for his replacement. In the coming weeks, the Pistons will likely have a full list of candidates, similar to how their search for a new President of Basketball Ops played out.