Rumor: Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore seeking top-five executive for Timberwolves

The Timberwolves fired team president Gersson Rosas yesterday.

The shocking timing? Reportedly due to the organization discovering Rosas had an intimate relationship with a fellow Timberwolves employee.

The end result? Probably inevitable with Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore buying the franchise and assessing Rosas’ job performance.

So, replacement possibilities have been swirling even before Minnesota made Sachin Gupta interim head of basketball operations.

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report:

In wake of Gersson Rosas' departure, word has circulated among league sources since Summer League that incoming Minnesota Timberwolves owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez have communicated they are fond of Sixers general manager Elton Brand. A name to keep an eye on here.

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) September 22, 2021

Dane Moore of Blue Wire Pods:

Word has been out there for many months that Alex Rodriguez + Marc Lore want to hire a “top 5” executive to run basketball operations. The problem was availability.

Around the NBA, Current Wolves executive Sachin Gupta is regarded as one of the most attractive available options https://t.co/xYzbVs3Fyd

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) September 22, 2021

Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania of The Athletic:

Minnesota is expected to have a full search process, but team officials are fond of Gupta and will provide him a chance in the No. 1 role, sources said.

The Heat’s Pat Riley, Raptors’ Masai Ujiri, 76ers’ Daryl Morey and Thunder’s Sam Presti are generally considered the top tier of team executives. Good luck luring any of those four to Minnesota.

Maybe the Timberwolves could get someone who deserves to be in the discussion for fifth-best executive. Danny Ainge and Dennis Lindsey are even available.

But this sounds like the type of thing new owners say without realizing the difficulty in actualizing it. Top executives rarely move between NBA teams.

Maybe Rodriguez and Lore will change the paradigm, though. Offer enough money and autonomy, and people will come.

76ers general manager Elton Brand, who works under Morey, is probably more attainable. However, he didn’t impress while in charge. Under his watch, Philadelphia: lost Jimmy Butler… signed-and-traded Butler for Josh Richardson, who underwhelmed with the 76ers… signed Al Horford to a big contract that later required picks to dump… insisted Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons should both be kept, a situation that has blown up this summer.

Brand got thrust into the top job before he was ready in the aftermath of Bryan Colangelo’s burner-Twitter scandal. Perhaps, Brand would fare better now.

Gupta is also a viable candidate. He drew consideration from the Kings before they hired Monte McNair last year.

But there’s at least chatter Minnesota is aiming higher.