There’s a bit of unrest surrounding the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the organization appears committed to locking up young star Karl-Anthony Towns.
According to Michael A. Scotto and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, the parties are discussing a maximum rookie scale contract extension.
The Athletic Sources: Karl-Anthony Towns and the Minnesota Timberwolves are discussing a maximum rookie scale contract extension, colleague @JonKrawczynski and I are told.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 11, 2018
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 draft, Towns is eligible for a five-year extension worth more than $150 million.
And all indications are he’s worth the cost.
During his second season, the Kentucky product racked up 25.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He shot 36.7 percent from three-point range and 54.2 overall.
Last year, his scoring dipped a bit following the arrival of Jimmy Butler — but not substantially. Towns posted averages of 21.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists, hitting 42.1 percent of his trifectas and 54.5 overall.
Butler is reportedly “fed up” with Towns and won’t sign an extension, and losing an All-Star is a serious matter.
But if the Wolves ensure Towns is on the books for another half-decade, they’ll always have a superstar centerpiece around which to build.