In a concerning incident, a hard drive containing sensitive strategic team information was stolen and duplicated last month from the Target Center office of the head of the Minnesota Timberwolves' analytics department. The theft was reportedly carried out by a disgruntled subordinate, according to a criminal complaint filed on Wednesday.

The stolen hard drive, belonging to Sachin Gupta, was returned a little over a week later, but not before approximately 5,700 files were copied. These files contained crucial employment and player contracts, as well as strategic NBA information. Additionally, Gupta's tax returns, financial information, and login credentials from a password management app were also compromised.

As the head of the analytics department, Gupta possessed proprietary data that the Timberwolves keep concealed from other teams. This includes sensitive information about players, decision-making processes, contracts, and trade negotiations. The dissemination of such information to rival teams could greatly impact the Timberwolves' success in the highly competitive NBA.

Upon discovering the disappearance of the hard drive, the team took immediate action and fired Somak Sarkar, the individual believed to be responsible for the theft. Sarkar, 33, was arrested on Monday and charged with felony third-degree burglary. He is currently being held in custody with a bail set at $40,000, pending his court appearance on Thursday.

During police questioning, Sarkar claimed that he had borrowed the hard drive to store some files but had forgotten to return it. However, investigations have revealed that he used his work computer to access Gupta's hard drive, raising suspicions about his intentions.

Sarkar has been associated with NBA front offices since 2012, starting as an intern with the Houston Rockets before securing a permanent role as a strategic analyst with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2013. His profile also indicates a year-long stint with the New York Knicks before joining the Minnesota Timberwolves in August 2021.

The details of the suspected theft have been outlined in the criminal complaint and a search warrant affidavit, which authorized a search of Sarkar's apartment near Target Center. During the search, multiple devices, including hard drives, a computer, three tablets, and several USB drives, were seized. One of the devices was found to contain all the information from Gupta's stolen hard drive.

Gupta, who had met with the police on March 4, revealed that Sarkar had previously worked in analytics for the coaches but had been reassigned after encountering conflicts with his immediate superior. Gupta believed that Sarkar was pleased with the transfer, but their relationship turned sour soon after.

The incident occurred on February 3, when security footage captured Sarkar entering Gupta's office, leaving, and then returning shortly after. Upon realizing the hard drive's absence on February 5, Gupta reported the incident. Sarkar was subsequently terminated without explanation on February 9 and escorted out of the building by security.

Forensic analysis of Sarkar's work computer uncovered evidence of him accessing Gupta's hard drive. It was later discovered that on February 11, 1,200 files were copied, followed by an additional 4,500 files on the same day. Gupta expressed concerns about Sarkar potentially disseminating both the proprietary Timberwolves information and his private data.

Sachin Gupta joined the Timberwolves in 2019 as the executive vice president, the second-highest position in the front office. After the team fired the then-president Gersson Rosas in September 2021, Gupta assumed the role of interim head of basketball operations for the 2021-22 season. However, the team ultimately hired Tim Connelly from the Denver Nuggets as the permanent head in May 2022. Gupta has since continued to serve as the executive vice president, overseeing the analytics department under Connelly's leadership.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are taking this incident seriously, as they recognize the potential consequences of sensitive data falling into the wrong hands. Measures will likely be implemented to further safeguard their proprietary information moving forward, ensuring the team's competitiveness in the NBA.