Tim Connelly brought seismic change to the Timberwolves’ roster in two of the past three offseasons.

In 2022, just more than a month after arriving in Minnesota, the president of basketball operations acquired Rudy Gobert via trade. This year, just days before the start of training camp, he dealt Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks in exchange for Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle.

So, fresh off a second consecutive trip to the Western Conference Finals, it’s not unreasonable to wonder if further notable change is on the immediate horizon. Connelly, however, threw a little bit of water on that while meeting with reporters on Monday.

For starters, Connelly has a contract option he could decline in order to enter his own form of free agency but noted he’s “super happy” in Minnesota, adding “I think you guys are stuck with me.”

And stuck with Timberwolves coach Chris Finch, as well, no surprise considering the team’s success under the head coach, finishing each of the past two seasons as one of the four final teams alive in the postseason. Connelly said Finch was “really great” this season and credited his ability to adjust to an ever-evolving roster in Minnesota.

Connelly hopes to bring back all three of Minnesota’s potential free agents in Randle, Naz Reid and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, no matter how difficult that may be to achieve.Connelly is a firm believer in process and opportunity. The more chances you give yourself in the latter rounds of the postseason, the more likely, he believes, that you’ll one day break through.

“We view the ability to be a final four team as a real puncher’s chance to win it all,” he said. “The more at-bats you have, the better.”

Even if those at-bats come against a juggernaut like Oklahoma City, this year’s Western Conference champion. The Thunder will play Indiana when the Finals begin Thursday. Connelly disagreed with an assertion that a team must reach the levels of this year’s Thunder or last year’s Boston Celtics — the clear top team in each individual season — to host a parade at the conclusion of the campaign. He noted how you can give yourself a chance to break through via matchups, or even opposing injuries, if you knock on the door enough times.

Connelly also cited how Minnesota’s statistical performance in Game 4 of the West Finals has almost always led to victory, which would have leveled the series at 2-2. Instead, the Thunder went on to win the next two games for a five-game series win.

Connelly refuses to allow the way that series ended to muddle the fact Minnesota was so strong over the second half of the campaign, and closed out each of its first two playoff series this spring in five games.

“What we’ve continued to focus on is the day-to-day approach and the ability to get better and better,” Connelly said. “We closed the year as hot as any team. It was really challenging with every game being so meaningful to ensure we’re out of the play-In (tournament). Then I thought we showed a lot of maturity and growth in the playoffs. It was a group with a lot of new faces and a lot of new faces had a huge impact. So, I think you’ve gotta take the emotion out of it a bit and see, on the whole, how was the season? On the whole, we’re pretty proud of the year we had.”

But there is a difference between pride and pleasure. Connelly noted Minnesota is neither “happy” nor “content” with the status quo. This is still the same stage at which Minnesota was eliminated a year ago. The Wolves even fell in the same number of games, with a similar blowout defeat in Game 5 serving as the death blow.

“It’s not where we want to be. Where are these areas we can improve upon? Where did we shoot ourselves in the foot? Certainly, in the Oklahoma City series, it was turnovers,” Connelly said. “Every year, I think it’s really important to take a step back and be appreciative of all the good things you did. We did way more good than bad. But also, be honest, to get to that next level and be a final two team, and hopefully the final team, where are the areas we’ve got to get better at?”

And will that growth require further roster shakeup?

Maybe not. Minnesota’s greatest leap taken over the past few seasons came in the 2023-24 campaign following an offseason of minimal movement. Continuity — while difficult to achieve given the NBA’s current salary cap constraints — is still king, and Connelly’s preferred method of management.

“Patience in professional sports is largely non-existent. Those organizations that can show patience tend to have a really high level of success,” he said. “But patience shouldn’t lead to risk aversion. … If we have to shake it up and make us a better team, we’re certainly open to that.”