Minneapolis/St. Paul – The Minnesota Timberwolves today named Joe Branch as the team’s Assistant General Manager. Branch joins the Wolves front office from RocNation Sports where he was Managing Director of Basketball. With the Wolves, Branch will coordinate domestic draft efforts, lead the team’s player program initiatives and be fully involved with all player personnel matters.
“Joe is a talented individual with great experience and exciting potential, “said Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas. “He brings a different perspective and skill set from his experiences as a player agent and sports executive which aligns with our philosophy of adding talent with diverse backgrounds to our front office. We look forward to him joining our front office staff and contributing at a high level.”
At RocNation Sports, Branch was instrumental in building the firm’s basketball management business and was involved in player representation. He recently negotiated contract extensions for Justise Winslow, NBA Champion Danny Green and Caris LeVert.
“I was drawn to what Gersson and Ryan are building here in Minnesota,” Branch said. “I’m impressed by the team culture and focus on player development and am committed to helping make our franchise one of the best in the NBA.”
Prior to RocNation Sports, Branch was a principal at Landmark Sports Group, which represented several NBA players. He also had basketball and operations roles at Nike and the NBA league office. Utilizing his expertise in sports marketing and athlete education, Branch served as an adjunct lecturer at Long Island University-Brooklyn on topics ranging from the business of sports, leadership, brand management and marketing. He also was a part-time lecturer at Rice University teaching a course titled “Business Analysis in Sport.”
Branch is a founding partner of UWANTGAME Ventures, a student-athlete mentor program that works with underserved youth. His passion is the non-profit arm of UWANTGAME headquartered in Brooklyn, NY. He established the organization to build the “Game Behind the Game” through mentorship as well as the character and career development of high school student-athletes. Students are provided programs on leadership, media/press preparation, fiscal responsibility, community service, sports psychology, and nutrition. Additionally, each student is paired in a one-on-one mentorship match with a former student athlete that can relate to and assist in the navigation of their unique concerns as they head toward college.
