4:57pm: Gupta “will assume basketball operations oversight” while retaining his current title as executive VP, the team’s PR department tweets.
3:08pm: After parting ways with Gersson Rosas, the Timberwolves will make executive VP Sachin Gupta their new head of basketball operations, league sources tell Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, confirming Gupta’s promotion, tweets that the veteran executive will be the team’s head of basketball operations on an interim basis. The Wolves intend to conduct a more extensive search to identify a permanent replacement for Rosas, according to Wojnarowski.
Gupta, a veteran NBA executive who is perhaps best known for inventing ESPN’s trade machine, joined Minnesota’s front office in 2019 after serving as an assistant general manager in Detroit.
Before his stint with the Pistons, Gupta was a special advisor to then-Rockets GM Daryl Morey, who first hired him way back in 2006. Between two separate stints in Houston, Gupta also spent several years with the Sixers, working as the VP of basketball operations under Sam Hinkie.
Gupta has been Rosas’ top lieutenant in Minnesota the last two years and received serious consideration for the top front office job in Sacramento in 2020. It briefly looked like the Kings would hire Gupta, but they ultimately chose Monte McNair, resulting in Gupta sticking with the Wolves.
In the wake of Rosas’ dismissal, Gupta will be tasked with leading a Timberwolves squad that has made the postseason just once in the last 17 seasons and appears caught off guard by the front office shakeup. According to Ramona Shelburne and Zach Lowe of ESPN (Twitter link), today’s news surprised several people in the organization, including players, since Rosas was still holding meetings and was in the gym this morning.
Given how highly regarded Gupta is around the NBA, he’ll likely receive consideration to hang onto the permanent job once the Wolves formally launch their search.
Love Gupta, but also loved Rosas. Read alot about Rosas causing tension, though.
But seriously. Can we please learn to do things right in Minnesota? Like, in every professional sport, please?
Until we can stop being idiots and retire KGs jersey I don’t trust the Wolves to get anywhere.
I won’t dignify the rumormongers, but what they’re saying Rosas has done to earn this dismissal is disgusting. It would make Delonte West blush, if true.
kat needs to get out of there asap.
As much as it pains me to say, we’ve just had too much inconsistency and negativity around him. He deserves to be in a better environment, as do all our good players. Having said that, we better not friggin trade him or Ant lol.
As for the Minnesota Timberpuppies:
The players are not the issue
The coaches are not the issue
The Head Coaching decisions are not the issue
The poor drafting decisions are not the issue
The poor trading decisions are not the issue
The selections of General Managers is not the issue
The selections of PBO’s is not the issue
The awful decision making of Glen Taylor IS
the issue.
ALL OF THE ABOVE ARE THE ISSUES
AND
The fact is, this franchise has been and will continue to be cursed since it’s inception in 1989.
Fold it or move it and start again
Welcome to A-Rod’s soon to be Tampa Bucketneers
What a terribly run organization. Wow. Gupta is legit, though, and Rosas made some very questionable decisions to say the least
They need to fully rebuild. KAT and Russell should go. Give Edwards the keys. Beasley is a good asset for a contender. They have some good other pieces. It’s needs to be Sam Presti style
Without KAT, Edwards could easily average 30ppg. But, would they win any games? Depends on what they got in return for KAT, D-Lo, etc.
Thibs for Kat.
Reset the culture at any cost.
No, thanks