Jimmy Butler is likely to follow the same trend as other players of his free agency class, likely waiting until 2019 to sign an extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to Jerry Zgoda of The Minneapolis Star Tribune.

“If Butler signs an extension, it likely will be next summer, when he can become a free agent and sign to stay with the Wolves for considerably more than any other team can pay him,” wrote Zgoda.

Butler is bound to make plenty more due to the ever-rising salary cap put into play, along with potential extra revenue from the legalizing of sports gambling, which could soon play a part into an even bigger cap for teams around the league.

The Timberwolves will first have to deal with Karl-Anthony Towns' impending contract and device a way to clear a path to give Butler a max-level deal to remain with the team.

“Every day we work at it,” president and head coach Thibodeau said Thursday. “We know how important he is and we feel he’s one of the best players in the league. So how you manage that on a daily basis is important. I think our communication with him is important.”

Butler said throughout last season that he has already earned more money than he needs and is likely to laser into winning rather than big dollars when he decides on his long-term future at the cusp of his 30th birthday in September 2019.

The Timberwolves will need to act with due caution and ensure they have enough cap room to dole out a max offer, just in case another winning team has pockets big enough to offer him something too hard to resist.