Training camp will begin around the NBA next week, which isn’t usually the time to make major personnel changes in your front office, but the Minnesota Timberwolves have done just that, firing their president of basketball operations, Gersson Rosas, a month before the start of the new season.
Team owner Glen Taylor put out a very vague statement that doesn’t go into any detail regarding why Rosas was let go, but the timing raises an awful lot of eyebrows.
“Today, the Minnesota Timberwolves parted ways with President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas. As an organization, we remain committed to building a winning team that our fans and city can be proud of.”
With new ownership coming in soon and the Wolves reportedly making their interest very well known for Ben Simmons on the trade market, there’s plenty going on in Minnesota at the moment for a team that now needs to find a new lead decision maker. Per Dane Moore, there has been some “dissension” for some time in the front office and that divisiveness apparently led to Rosas’ ouster.
For quite some time now there has been dissension in the Timberwolves front office and organization, sources say.
Moving on from Gersson Rosas is not an out of the blue development. In a critical year, with new ownership, the Wolves decided to act now rather than delay.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) September 22, 2021
While the team conducts a search for a new lead executive, Adrian Wojnarowski reports Sachin Gupta will oversee basketball operations.
Minnesota Timberwolves EVP of Basketball Operations Sachin Gupta is expected to be promoted to the franchise's interim head of basketball operations, sources tell ESPN. The Timberwolves are planning to conduct a broader search to find a permanent replacement for Gersson Rosas.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 22, 2021
There will surely be more reporting to come on what led to the sudden change, but it doesn’t exactly paint the best picture of a franchise that has long struggled to find much in the way of stability. As for a replacement, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report brought word that new ownership is fond of Sixers GM Elton Brand.
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
