Timberwolves rumors: Karl-Anthony Towns could decide on extension once Jimmy Butler situation gets sorted

Jimmy Butler hasn't decided on his long-term future with the team and Karl-Anthony Towns hasn't signed his rookie-scale contract extension. These are two pressing issues for Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau, and the clock is ticking.

With just a few weeks remaining until the start of the 2018-19 NBA season, the Minnesota Timberwolves are still trying to solidify their roster. Jimmy Butler hasn't decided on his long-term future with the team and Karl-Anthony Towns hasn't signed his rookie-scale contract extension. These are two pressing issues for head coach Tom Thibodeau, and the clock is ticking.

According to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic, there has been a bit of tension brewing within the Timberwolves organization between players and management. Charania also notes that Towns will likely hold out on signing until Butler's situation is resolved.

“There’s been a lot of uncertainty around Jimmy Butler all summer,” Charania said in an interview with Stadium on Monday. “He hasn’t been back to Minnesota. This is going to be a telltale week for him. Very much so, I’m told, this a last-ditch meeting for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Tom Thibodeau, and how they respond and how Jimmy responds to it will be interesting.

“Karl-Anthony Towns, who’s one of the top talents in the league, has yet to sign to sign his rookie max extension, which should be a no-brainer,” Charania added. “And I’m told there won’t be any decision on that until this Jimmy Butler situation resolves itself.”

Obviously, the Timberwolves would like to have Butler and Towns back, as both are key to the team's playoff aspirations.

Butler, who can become an unrestricted free agent next summer, made 59 appearances with the Timberwolves during their 2017-18 regular season campaign, racking up averages of 22.2 points on 47.4 percent shooting from the field (35.0 percent from beyond the arc), 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.0 steals in 36.7 minutes per outing.

If Towns doesn't sign an extension with the Timberwolves by 6 p.m. EST on Oct. 15, he will be a restricted free agent next summer. That still leaves Minnesota with a minimal risk of losing the All-Star center in the near future.

Towns played in all 82 regular season games with the Timberwolves in 2017-18, averaging 21.3 points on 54.5 percent shooting from the field (42.1 percent from downtown), 12.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 35.6 minutes per game.

Will the Timberwolves be able to keep both players? Or is the young Towns, now 22 years of age, the team's priority? More information should be released throughout the week, so be sure to keep your browsers locked on ClutchPoints for more updates as they become available.