Karl-Anthony Towns is getting a new deal from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Jimmy Butler is still waiting to get a new address.
Towns announced Saturday night that he is recommitting to the Timberwolves, securing his future there while Butler’s remains a mystery. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that Towns will be signing a five-year super-max extension worth $190 million.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because neither the team nor Towns publicly revealed the financial terms of the deal. Towns posted a video to social media with the wording “5 More” — a clear nod to the length of the contract.
“On June 25th, 2015, I was drafted to and committed to the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Towns wrote in an Instagram post. “On September 22nd, 2018, I made a recommitment to the Wolves and have the same feelings of excitement that I felt back in 2015.”
Towns is going into his fourth season, was an All-Star for the first time a year ago and was the Timberwolves’ second-leading scorer last season at 21.3 points per game.
The status of Minnesota’s leading scorer last year, however, remains most uncertain.
Butler told the Timberwolves several days ago that he has no intentions to be with them for the long-term and wants a trade. The Athletic reported on Saturday that Butler will not be appearing at Minnesota’s media day on Monday, or the first day of training camp Tuesday — although it’s entirely possible that the Wolves may trade him by then anyway.
A person familiar with the talks has told AP that the Timberwolves have had some conversations with clubs, talks that were originally described as the team gauging what the trade market might be for Butler.
Butler led Minnesota at 22.2 points per game last season. If he gets traded, which seems more than likely now, he will be on a third team in little over a year — Chicago traded him to the Timberwolves on draft night in 2017.
Towns was the No. 1 overall pick by Minnesota in 2015. He hasn’t missed a single game in his pro career, playing and starting in all 82 in each of his three regular seasons as well as the Timberwolves’ five playoff games last spring.
“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,” Towns said. “To the fans from Day 1 and the Timberwolves fans, this is for you. Thank you for believing in me.”
