Nuggets Hire Pelicans’ Tim Connelly As VP of Basketball Operations

May 9, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets president Josh Kroenke speaks during the press conference naming general manager Masai Ujiri (not pictured) the NBA executive of the year at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets have hired Tim Connelly to take over as Executive VP of Basketball Operations, per Adrian Wojanrowski of Yahoo! Sports. Connelly is considered one of the league’s rising stars and has been the Pelicans Hornets assistant general manager since 2010.

Connelly will be filling in where Masai Ujiri left off when the former Nuggets GM took the same position for a pay raise with the Toronto Raptors. Pete D’Alessandro was rumored to be the potential leading in-house candidate before becoming the GM for the Sacramento Kings.

Connelly has worked in the NBA since 1996, when he was an intern for the Washington Wizards. Connelly later became the director of player personnel with the Wizards before being hired by the then New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans). He has worked extensively as an international scout and seems to understand the importance of player development.

For the Nuggets, replacing head coach George Karl now become to No. 1 priority.