Fast forward six years, and the Nuggets’ world has been flipped on its head. Former team president Tim Connelly left earlier this week to take a far more lucrative job running the Timberwolves. A five-year, $40 million deal, with equity in the franchise, was a deal too sweet for Connelly to pass up. Regardless of how close the Nuggets got in their counteroffer — and that depends on who you talk to — there was still a significant gap between the two sides, sources said.