SEPTEMBER 23: The Timberwolves have officially signed Towns to his new extension, the team announced today in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 22: Karl-Anthony Towns has decided to accept an extension from the Timberwolves, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The new deal could pay Towns as much as $190MM over the next five years based on current cap projections.
The latest news out of Minnesota may be further indication that Jimmy Butler is headed out of town soon. A report this week suggested that Towns, who clashed with the former Bulls star during his first year in Minnesota, was delaying a decision on an extension until Butler’s fate was decided.
News first broke in July that the Wolves were discussing an extension with Towns, and they have been waiting more than two months for the fourth-year center to accept their offer. His agent, Leon Rose of CAA Sports, contacted the club tonight with news of his decision, sources told Wojnarowski.
“On June 25, 2015, I was drafted to and committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Towns said in a prepared statement. “On September 22, 2018, I made a recommitment to the Wolves and have the same feelings of excitement that I felt back in 2015.
“I promise to the fans, my teammates and the organization to keep the vision of the man who drafted me, Flip Saunders, alive and treat his dream of winning with respect and dignity. To the fans from Day One and the Timberwolves fans, this is for you. Thank you for believing in me.”
Terms of the super-max contract enable Towns to earn 30% of the team’s salary cap by making an All-NBA team or by being named MVP or Defensive Player of the Year this season. The deal does not contain a player option, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link).
If Towns doesn’t meet the super-max criteria, his new deal would start at 25% of the cap rather than 30%. In that scenario, the yearly cap hits for the Wolves project to be worth $27.25MM, $29.43MM, $31.61MM, $33.79MM and $35.97MM, for a total of $158.05MM. If Towns earns one of the honors noted above, the annual cap hits would increase to $32.7MM, $35.32MM, $37.93MM, $40.55MM, and $43.16MM ($189.66MM in total).
The new deal also establishes Towns as the cornerstone of the franchise for the foreseeable future. He quickly turned into one of the best young centers in the league after being drafted with the top pick in 2015. Towns hasn’t missed a game in his first three seasons and posted a 21.3/12.3/2.4 line last year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
To secure the full 5 year/190 million max, KAT will still have to earn all-nba next year (or win mvp/dpoty). Should he fail he will drop down to a 5 year/155 million max similar to the one Booker signed earlier in the offseason.
As if he doesn’t make all nba
Bleacher Report has the yearly figures for Towns with and without making All NBA. If he doesn’t get it he would get $158mm.
Icing on the cake for Jimmy getting moved. Sitting here thinking I have no clue which team will take the risk of trading for Jimmy.
T-Wolves are just trolling Jimmy now, right?
KAT: “Promise to trade Jimmy Buckets and I’ll sign.”
This seems likely. lol
Jimmy B to kat you’re stuck with wiggins!
Butler to Washington for Beal. Works for both.
i think jimmy would be a good fit in Den or Tor
Tor with Teague for Lowry and wright. Minny wanted Lowry for a while anyway
The pride of Piscataway, New Jersey!
What was that comment?
This could get really interesting if Wolfpups do not receive realistic trade offers. Do you pay Jimmy B to stay away? How long can that last? This is soap opera city. Jimmy B played 59 games last year, KAT played 82. At this point, Wolfpups would take a bag of stale Krisy Kreme just to get him and his 5yr/190 mill bag of wants & needs out of town. Jerry West isn’t anybodys fool. I bet he isn’t calling Wolves, wolves are calling him. They’re rubbing Jimmy’s face in the dog doo.
What the hell was that comment?
Cannot comprehend? Public school education, I would wager….
Lol you’re calling the Timberwolves wolfpups and taking about dog doo, and you’re the smart one? Why do your comments come off sounding like you’re smoking tobacco out of a pipe and wearing a monocle?
They just signed KAT to a long term extension. The Wolves themselves are rubbing doo in Jimmys face. As for pups, yes they are performing like little puppies from the front office down. People have been calling them Timberbulls and all sorts of other names. As for smoking tobacco, no way dude. I think you might be hitting the meth pipe too hard but you tell me.
Lol you big trippin you’re out here tweaking speaking nonsense. What I meant by you smoking tobacco out of a pipe and wearing a monocle is, you’re so pretentious and you sound like a 95 year old. Lmao at “Cannot comprehend? Public school education, I would wager” you sound like someone trying so hard to prove you’re smart. Private school education, I would wager.
Spurs and Pacers had no trouble trading their players in the exact same situations.
Any thought of not receiving any offers for him or that they will act vengefully against him is just fantasy.
Plus if he had just left and the end of this year people would say that the Wolves should have traded him.
At the end of the day this is the risk you take when trading for a guy: he might not want to be there.
They will get offers, just NBA junk level offers. Most good players cannot be traded until deadline or 6 months after signing. Are you saying Jimmy is Upper level super star to build around? Please, the guy played 59 games last year. He wants to be paid like CP3 and isn’t close to that level. Lets let the package or lack of one decide if Jimmy is worth anything. I predict (Pain) for ownership. I bet Jerry West demanded a No.1 draft pick to take the Jimmy B ordeal….He is not what he thinks he is, sorry to say and this trade will prove it.
He played 59 games b/c he tore hos meniscus…………………..
Whatever. He missed 59 games. If it is knee, hand, arm, he missed 59 and way too much for a type 1A superstar that he thinks he is.
*played
If you dont recognize Butler as the elite 2 way player he is, I don’t know what to tell you
We will see what the market says. Let the market decide. I simply do not think they will get near full market value. Waiting until this late, one week before training camp is stupid. Hurts his own value, hurts any market value for the team. List of three teams like he is Lebron or KD. Jimmy B is mediocris stella and is more a robin/3rd wheel than a bigtime star like Lebron/KD/Kobe etc. Let the market decide who is correct. I am using logic & fact and receive opinion & emotion in return
I never said anything about the return for him. I’m just saying he is an elite 2 way player, which he is
Coming off knee & hand surgery who is 2 for 2 in wrecking lockerooms. He will be close to 35 with the team paying him 40 mill. No thanks. Today he told Thibs he is not reporting & not playing ..Fine.. No play, no pay….He is a problem
My guess is jimmy is already gone and it just hasn’t been reported. If guessing they let KATs agents know and it was complete.
team finally makes the playoffs, ok blow it up
It;s the Timberwolves. Jinxed from their inception. KAT, never missed a game for 3 years and now signs a super max contract. Handwriting is on the wall, watch out for a KAT injury.
KAT and Butler are their main 2 pieces. Its unfortunate they paid Wiggins. That is keeping them from having a top team in the West, which obviously turns Butler away.
It’s not the scoring from Wiggins. It’s his effort level, the fact he disappears, the fact he still hasnt really gotten stronger, the fact that he could be an elite defender, but still hasnt shown any glimpses of desire or ability to play that end of the floor, nor has he really improved in that area. He still needs to continue to improve his jumpshot, and he needs to be a more willing attacker with the ball, and learn how to play without the ball by posting up in the half court and/or becoming a great cutter. The thing is that he absolutely has enough talent to be a great player, but it’s hard to say that we know he even wants to be. He took the most shots on that team last year, and there were still reports of him complaining about touches and shots. If anything, KAT needs more touches, and Wiggins needs to be more efficient. Jimmy Butler should be frustrated with him. The work he has put in to be the player he is, and he still wants more. Wiggins has all this talent, and he doesnt even care
If you think Butler’s trade demand has anything to do with Wiggins or some sort of feeling that the T-Wolves can’t win as constituted then you are completely wrong.
A) Management offered him a super max of 4/$110 and he declined
B) He’s demanding to be traded NOW so that his bird-rights can transfer to one of the teams on his wish list. If he’s NOT traded and just opts out at the end of the year then his bird-rights die and he is limited to (I think) 4/$140 vs 5/$190 he could make if he extends with whatever team he’s traded to.
C) Although the Twolves are hard pressed to win a Finals they have a lot more credibility as a contender this year vs the three teams on his list who’ve won fewer games last year than the Twolves (Knicks, Nets and Clippers).
The facade of him being focused on winning is a wack narrative.
Obviously money is involved, but it’s also the opportunity to win being higher elsewhere. And why wouldnt he want to have his bird rights moved to get the full max? He is a good enough player that hes worth it, so I dont understand why you keep saying the same thing. Also, depending on what would come back in a trade, I could see any of those teams being significantly better than some think, especially the Nets and Clippers, and then the Knicks moving forward, not necessarily this year. I also wouldnt definitively put everything on that list as if those are the only teams in the mix, or that could sign him
I don’t think winning for Butler has anything to do with it. He wants to be paid in a city that he gets noticed. In Jimmy’s eyes it is his world and we just live in it. This is the same issue that arose in Chicago. All his teammates said it was always about him and not the team. Trade him now and get rid of the Thibs.
That is really good news for Minny, they got KAT & that contract in a couple of years is gonna look cheap. KAT in his sophomore year was a top 5 player, last year took a Butler hit but still was a top 10, without Butler should go up again, should have another awesome season. Can’t wait to see what Minny does with Wiggins firing again & KAT on top form. Back to the plan. Shortcuts never work, such a shame they lost Dunn, ZLV & Markkanen, otherwise they would be so much better, Butler trade was always gonna be a loose, loose situation for Minny, that is why Thibs should have been fired as soon as it was made.
Nobody noticed the jab Towns took at thibs in his post:”…continue the vision of flip saunders…” total opposite of what our stuborn bully is doing in minny. Thibs is following butler out the door! Towns this is your team now, don’t let us down brother.