With the Jimmy Butler fiasco regarding his future with the Minnesota Timberwolves still in flux, the franchise is now reportedly at even greater risk.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, with Butler’s Wolves career still up in the air, center Karl-Anthony Towns won’t commit to them either until the drama surrounding his all-star teammate is settled.
From our own @ShamsCharania, latest on Jimmy Butler seriously contemplating Minnesota future. pic.twitter.com/bi0cV3GXTE
— Stadium (@WatchStadium) September 17, 2018
Butler is expected to sit down with Wolves head coach Tom Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden early this week, a meeting that could determine whether he remains with the team. While signing a rookie max extension is often an easy decision for players, it’s hard to fault Karl-Anthony Towns for hesitating on his.
Butler turned down an extension earlier this offseason, the first indication that a potential split between the sides could be looming. The Wolves and Butler are evidently not on the same page, and it could end up costing them two franchise players in the end if Towns also isn’t happy.
Since entering the league, Towns has been a dominant force and is at the forefront of the modern big man movement. At 7-foot, Towns has the rare ability to maneuver like a guard and shoot consistently from outside, something we have begun to see more and more.
While losing out on Butler would be brutal enough, potentially watching an in-house developed talent as skilled as Karl-Anthony Towns walk would be a back-breaker to a franchise wanting to cement themselves as a perennial playoff team.
