This is one of the unusual transfers of the summer. Forget about exchanges between clubs in the same sport, Sachin Gupta (42 years old) has chosen to switch from basketball to football. Former vice-president of basketball for the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise (2019-2024), the American is taking on a new challenge with Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the English Championship, as announced by Jon Krawczynski and Liam Twoney on The Athletic.
Trade machine
While working for American media outlet ESPN in 2006, Gupta rose to fame by inventing the ” Trade Machine “, which simulates player trades between different NBA franchises. Before arriving in Minnesota, he worked for Houston (2006-2013), Philadelphia (2014-2016) and Detroit (2017-2018) and built his reputation on his great analytical mind and team data.
In Minnesota, Gupta has “ inaugurated a more robust strategy and analysis department, building one of the largest crews in the league “, detail Krawczynski and Twoney. Last year, his franchise reached the Western Conference final with the Wolves for the second time in history, before losing to Dallas. For the moment, his exact role at Chelsea has not been specified.