The Minnesota Timberwolves have two impending extensions to attend to with two of their biggest stars in Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The franchise doled out a lucrative five-year, $150 million deal for young star Andrew Wiggins last season and now has two major checks to hand out with two stars that reportedly don't see eye to eye.
Butler has been painted as a frustrated big brother after arriving in Minnesota last July after a draft night trade for Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn, but has yet to see the commitment to winning from Towns.
President/head coach Tom Thibodeau has kept any negotiations close to the vest, but expressed interest into keeping both players long-term.
Towns recently returned to the United States after a vacation in Italy, hoping talks could become more clear now that he’s back home. Yet the biggest underlying question is if the den is big enough for two max-level Wolves.
“There is optimism throughout the organization that the two sides will eventually reach agreement, and a belief that the concerns about team chemistry can be smoothed over as time goes on,” wrote Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
The Timberwolves could dole out as much as a five-year, $158 million agreement, but that could surely raise questions for Butler in the franchise's priorities, as he recently was rumored to see “no way” he's signing an extension this summer.
Minnesota will have to toe the line carefully and address concerns before shelling out more than $300 million in combined pay on top of the $150 million doled out to Wiggins, as they could face salary cap purgatory if this trio doesn't work out in the long run.
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