The Minnesota Timberwolves took a significant leap in 2021-22, as their young core coalesced into a playoff team, earning the 7-seed by way of the play-in before getting knocked out of the first round by Memphis.
Leading the way for the Wolves were their two former No. 1 overall picks, Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards, with the former being extension eligible when the clock struck midnight on July 1. After years of people wondering if Towns would want to stick around in Minnesota if the team didn’t take steps forward, there was little intrigue regarding Towns future after this season, and late Thursday night the news of Towns’ agreement to stay with the Wolves was made official as he’ll get a max extension worth $224 million.
Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has agreed on a four-year, $224M super max extension, his agent Jessica Holtz of @CAA_Basketball tells ESPN. Deal begins with the 2024-25 season and delivers Towns’ total contract value to six years and $295M.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022
Minnesota is happy to pay up for the best shooting center in the NBA, as Towns averaged 24.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game on a robust 52.9/41.0/82.2 shooting split last season. He has continued to take strides as an all-around player and, now with a strong cast around him, the Wolves are reaping the benefits of his development and full skillset. Along with the Towns extension, Minnesota had a nice opening night of free agency as they added Kyle Anderson on a mid-level deal to bolster their wing rotation with another versatile defender, but rumblings persist about them seeking a bigger addition in the trade market with D’Angelo Russell reportedly very available.