Towns signs reported 5-year, $190M extension with Timberwolves
Karl-Anthony Towns has cemented his status as the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the present and foreseeable future.
The 22-year-old big man has agreed to a multi-year extension with Minnesota, the team announced on Sunday. The deal will reportedly be a five-year, $190-million super-max contract, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
It will reportedly include a trade kicker, according to The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, and does not contain a player option.
The terms of a contract state that Towns is eligible for 30 percent of the team's salary cap should he make an All-NBA team, earn NBA Most Valuable Player, or Defensive Player of the Year honors next season. If he doesn't, his contract would pay him approximately $158 million instead, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
"On June 25, 2015, I was drafted to and committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves. On September 22, 2018, I made a recommitment to the Wolves and have the same feelings of excitement that I felt back in 2015," Towns said in an official statement obtained by ESPN.
"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."
Towns has never missed a game for the Timberwolves since entering the Association first overall in 2015. He took home Rookie of the Year honors that year, and made his first All-Star Game this past season.
Towns averaged 21.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 2017-18 for the 47-win Timberwolves. DeMarcus Cousins was the only other player to average at least 20 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and a block per game.
The news of Towns' commitment comes at a time when the franchise is under the microscope after Jimmy Butler reportedly asked to be traded earlier in the week. Butler's frustrations with the state of the team, along with his poor relationships with Andrew Wiggins and Towns played a part in his decision to request a move elsewhere.