President Tim Connelly on the draft Timberwolves, the future of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and more

Tim Connelly, the new president of Timberwolves, has been in office for less than a month, but is already entering the first major phase of his term. Wolves has four choices in Thursday’s NBA draft, including 19th overall and three second-round players.

Once all the choices have been made, there will be a free agency if Wolves has to address the needs on the list, including finding updates on the front square to reinforce its setback. Connelly recently talked to the Star Tribune about all this. (Replies have been modified for clarity and brevity.)

K If you already have a play-off team and you plan to be a candidate, how do you feel about an asset like Option 19? Will trading as a chip become more valuable in finding a veteran who is willing to bet?

A We’re going through all the different possibilities pretty well. We are also very happy and excited to be a good player at the age of 19. It is difficult for every player in our draft to play a huge role in the team that has just succeeded. We are not preparing by June 24, but hopefully to add someone who can be a part of lasting success and someone who can grow into a role. I think things are on the table, but we’re pretty sure 19 gives a good player.

K The eternal question is always whether you are making a drift with the need or the best player available. How does the need fit into the equation? Rather a long-term need?

A I think I’m generally the best player available [guy]. If it gets very close, you need to consider the need. … Teams change so dramatically. Sometimes I get most confused when I was too tunnel-minded to meet needs and the team looks different two weeks later in a free agency, but a year later after the deal. Then you look up and say, “I’m so stupid that I just didn’t take the man we had higher up at the table. We liked him.” I think in general, very good players find their way regardless of the list. We are a team with the best players, and when it is very close in the debate, we are a little more nuanced. In general, I think this is the best approach.

K Karl-Anthony Towns is eligible for the supermax extension. How much have you thought about it? Do you see him as the cornerstone of the franchise?

A I hope he’s been here forever. I hope we have this type of team success that allows us to look up and see how Karl’s shirt hangs between the rafters. I got to these guys, but I don’t want to force a relationship. You need to develop these things, of course. So, I’ve heard so many good things about him. I know how great a player he is on the field, but outside the field it has been such a consistent, just incredibly cute man who treats everyone in a truly stylish way. I think he’s been through so much, so many different faces and different chairs, from representation to coaching. So I think of Finchy consistently [coach Chris Finch], you see a better version of Karl and he is already a great player. … I know he’s good enough to win at a high level, and I know how much he cares about this city and the team, so I think it would be incredibly cool for Karl and that team to wear only one shirt. . and we win tons of games and we’re old and fat and watch the shirt hang between the rafters. I’m already old and fat, but older and thicker.

K The most obvious need seems to be to find someone to play on the front court to get more setbacks. But if you sit down and rate the list, what do you see?

A I think it’s been nice to hear what he thinks when I sit down with Finchy. There are a few areas that we need to improve. We need better protection on the edge. We cannot be a defensive rebound team like before. We need to close the premises. The biggest measure of protection is the closure of premises. Termination of ownership. We do not want to focus only on what we are not good at. I think this team has a pretty clear identity in terms of ball movement, height, athleticism, aggression. So we want to make sure that these things are extremely important, but as we add, every team has holes. Each team tries to close these holes. But in approaching these things, we need to be strategic.

K What are your impressions of Anthony Edwards?

A Above all, I’m a fan and I like everything about his approach and the game. I just like how sincere he is. He is always himself. It’s just so much fun to watch the game. It is a pleasure to watch him interview. He enjoys how he interacts with his teammates, how much he smiles and how much he enjoys the game. I think it is our duty to ensure that he never loses it, and at the same time we challenge him to be the man we all know. A man can be as good as anyone else in the world. He has definitely won the DNA of this type of talent that we are all looking for. So, I just don’t want him to ever lose that joy. It is quite special to look at a person who feels so comfortable in their skin. We cannot skip steps to be an elite team. He can’t skip steps to be an elite player. But there are no limits to his ability. He could become the best player in the world.

K You mentioned at your press conference how you like everyone in the room to argue and come to a decision at the end of the process. How do you make a final decision based on all this contribution?

A It varies. Sometimes you need to make quick decisions. You don’t have the luxury of taking time off, especially on a windy night. You make all your plans and your board is wrong, so the man who thought you were going to be 14 was just 12. Where are you now? So, I think the key is just to really convict in the pre-trial proceedings. I think there are some very, very smart people here who have already had a huge impact on how I see this draft and the free agency. … You can’t be afraid of making a mistake. You cannot be driven by fear. I have learned over the last X years that you cannot hear too many outside voices outside this building. That’s why I don’t have social media. It is true. There is no burner [accounts], nothing. … You don’t want to be too confused with too many votes. So long the answer, the longer: you go around with really smart people, you go through all the possible scenarios, you get an idea of ​​what you want to do. You hope what you want to do is there. If you can’t do exactly as you hoped, you have a Plan B and a C and feel good about it. Hopefully we will argue like crazy, respectfully and challenge each other’s opinions, and when the door opens, it will be “our” decision. Individuals in this group do not make decisions. That is what the colleagues do.