Evaluating new Timberwolves boss Tim Connelly's tenure in Denver

A billboard depicting Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic hangs on a building in Belgrade, Serbia.The Timberwolves made their biggest non-player splash in six years Monday, finalizing a deal to bring former Nuggets executive Tim Connelly in as the new President of Basketball Operations.

The reported cost will sound familiar: five years, $40 million, which is the same sum the Wolves gave Tom Thibodeau to run and coach the team in 2016.

The Wolves and their fans can only hope this seismic move turns out better than that one, which saw Thibodeau fired halfway through his deal.

There are reasons to believe it will, and that the money paid to Connelly — which also reportedly involves an equity stake…