JULY 7: Towns has officially signed the contract, according to a team press release.
“I couldn’t be prouder to continue my commitment to this franchise and community for years to come,” Towns said. “Minnesota has become my home and I am excited to continue making the fans proud to support the Timberwolves. My first seven years in the league, it has been an amazing journey. It all started with Flip Saunders taking a chance on me and now here we are. I look forward to all the achievements that are ahead for our team and the Timberwolves fanbase.”
JUNE 30: Karl-Anthony Towns has agreed to sign a four-year, super-max extension with the Timberwolves, agent Jessica Holtz tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
The deal will begin in 2024/25 and will be worth 35% of that season’s salary cap, with 8% raises in subsequent seasons. Since the ’24/25 cap figure isn’t yet known, neither is the amount of Towns’ extension, but Wojnarowski projects it to be worth about $224MM over four years.
The signing is something of a no-brainer for a Minnesota club on the rise. Towns, still just 26, enjoyed something of a comeback season with Minnesota in 2021/22. Though his stats in recent years remained impressive, the team had been mired in middling lottery-bound purgatory for three straight seasons prior to 2022.
In 2022, the 6’11” center made his first All-Star team since 2019 and his first All-NBA Team since 2018. Towns also won the NBA Three-Point Contest during the 2022 All-Star Weekend, a rarity for a big man. During 74 games last year, Towns averaged 24.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, and 3.6 APG, with guard-like shooting splits of .529/.410/.822.
The three-time All-Star’s offensive prowess was a big reason the Timberwolves returned to their first playoff berth in four years. Led by Towns and second-year phenom Anthony Edwards, plus guards D’Angelo Russell and Patrick Beverley, the seventh-seeded Timberwolves pushed the second-seeded Grizzlies in a tough, physical first-round series. Minnesota would ultimately fall to Memphis in six games.
A super-max contract extension for Towns, an exceptional offensive talent just reaching his prime, had previously been considered the top priority for Minnesota’s front office this summer.
So far in free agency, the team has also added veteran small forward Kyle Anderson and re-signed tweener forward Taurean Prince to a two-year extension. The team also exercised non-guaranteed team options for 2022/23 on Naz Reid and Jaylen Nowell.
In the draft, the Timberwolves added several intriguing young players. Auburn big man Walker Kessler, the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year, and Duke small forward Wendell Moore, were selected in the first round. Memphis drafted Memphis swingman Josh Minott and Vanoli Cremona shooting guard Matteo Spagnolo in the second round.
Why would you do this now?
Because he is worth it!
As a matter of fact he is worth much more than that!
That’s why you do that as soon as you can do it!
This is a ridiculous insane contract. 56 mill a year for a guy that just now Made the playoffs and never been pit of round 1. Getting out of hand now!
@Bk11235
He’s still one of the best players in the nba.
52/41/82 and 27/10/4 is insanely good. With no playoff pedigree he’s a top 8 player.
He’s a very good player but not great. It’s crazy players are getting paid based on numbers and not success of far they lead their team. Imagine what shaq Hakeem Iverson and MJ would be getting paid today!
@Bk1
Funny you say that team success matters more and then mention Iverson who never won anything. THAT’S why we have this epidemic of stars jumping around trying to win chips so their greatness can be validated. In terms of individual performance, Towns is great He plays in the same NBA as all others but doesn’t have the same supporting cast.
Iverson never won anything cause the roster put around him was trash. He gave the tough lakers all they can handle even though they only got 1. Towns is not Iverson as a player impact wise and doesn’t deserve this ridiculous contract. At best twolves are a maybe 5 seed but still not even close to warriors clippers and not as good as nuggets grizzlies or mavs and not lakers either if they get kyrie
Your argument for iversons teammates being trash is the exact reason towns hasn’t accomplished more. So thanks for clearing that up.
Absolutely not. Towns is a lackluster defender, and a black hole on offense. Hence the no winning thing.
He’s the “best player” on that team (2nd now with AE’s arrival). When you’re the teams best player, and the team sucks, it can be surmised that in fact, YOU suck
It’s no coincidence that as soon as Edwards takes the leap into becoming the Wolves best player, they make the playoffs for the first time in KAT’s career.
This is all to say KAT is criminally overrated, and fans like you who don’t really understand the game are the main culprits.
Iverson almost single-handedly took a Sixers team that would have likely been lottery bound without him to the NBA Finals. No other player on that team averaged more than 12 PPG. It was amazing what he accomplished that year.
KAT has been good, but he not shown the ability to put the team on his back and guide them to victory. In my opinion, that is what a super max player should be doing.
He at least made a finals and KAT may never reach a WCF.
May never? Iverson had 14 years, Towns half that.
But AI, MJ & Olajuwon WERE better than many players getting maxxes. Beal, Lavine, Wiggins, on & on. Not Towns’ fault
Allen Iverson played in 71 career playoff games and averaged 45.1 mins per game and 29.7 points in them.
Astounding considering he was often the littlest man out there and took 4 times the beating of anyone else on the court—45 MINS!
KAT has a long way to go before even being mentioned in the same sentence as AI
Well deserved
Deserved based on what? He’s never lead this team to anything. It’s likes giving a pitcher with a 14-11 record and an era of 4.50 the Cy Young…or giving Kirk Cousins 40 mil a year. Makes zero sense as he has accomplished nothing to speak of…
but yeah. Everyone’s getting paid in the nba and it’s not all merit based.
Why would you give a super max to a guy who isn’t even the best player on the team? Edwards is the alpha and the number one. Towns goes missing and doesn’t play D. Both playoff trips Towns was subpar. What are they gonna do when Ant needs to be paid?
My guess is pay him. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 4/$140 million.
The amount of money he’s gonna get paid seems insane but that’s the going rate to keep your homegrown stars .. I love Towns game , but i feel like hes in the wrong position .. similar to AD he should be a stretch 4 .. Minnesota needs a real Center.. a defense minded one in particular .. trade for a steven adams type or develope the hell outta walker kessler
As they say, usually sarcastically— That aged well! Very well
SuperMax????? Is KAT really worth a SuperMax contract if you have to trade for a Max Contract (Rudy Gobert) to cover for the fact that KAT is no type of difference-maker whatsoever on defense, and is still unproven as a clutch playoff scorer. Why not trade for Gobert, and send KAT to Brooklyn for Durant. I will take my chances with Edwards, Durant and Gobert. We keeping Patrick Beverley. We will also package DeAngelo Russell for Kyrie is Brooklyn desires. We will even add whatever draft picks we have left to make that happen.