NBA Rumors: Karl-Anthony Towns' Supermax Contract with T-Wolves Has Player Option

Karl-Anthony Towns' supermax extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves does allow him the opportunity to become a free agent after the 2026-27 season if he chooses to do so.

Per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the final season on Towns' four-year, $224.2 million extension is a player option.

Minnesota announced Thursday that Towns officially signed his deal.

Timberwolves general manager Tim Connelly wasted no time making an impression on the franchise after coming over from the Denver Nuggets in May. He worked out an extension with Towns and acquired Rudy Gobert in a trade with the Utah Jazz for four players, four first-round draft picks and a pick swap.

The Towns-Gobert dynamic is going to be a key storyline in Minnesota for the 2022-23 season. They have been two of the NBA's best centers throughout their careers, though they have polar opposite styles of play.

Towns is arguably the best shooting center in the league today. The three-time All-Star has averaged at least 21.3 points per game in each of the past six seasons and has a 39.7 percent three-point success rate in his career.

Gobert is an elite defensive player who lived in the paint during his nine seasons with the Jazz.

Connelly told reporters this week Towns will likely move to power forward with Gobert handling center duties.

"I thought some of his best minutes have been at the 4 [position]," Connelly said of Towns.

Given how many future draft picks were in the trade, Minnesota is banking on Towns, Gobert and Anthony Edwards being the nucleus of a Western Conference playoff contender for years to come.

Towns' extension gives the T-Wolves plenty of wiggle room to figure things out. He will be 31 after the 2026-27 season when he could potentially become a free agent. The Kentucky alum is estimated to earn $62.1 million in 2027-28 if he ends up opting into the final year of his deal.

The Timberwolves made the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference last season. They lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in six games in the first round.