Towns hopes to stay as T-Wolves potentially enter tax territory

Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns hopes to remain with the only franchise he’s played for over his nine NBA seasons.

“I would love for the tenure to keep going,” Towns said postgame Thursday after being eliminated in the Western Conference finals by the Dallas Mavericks.

Towns added, “I’m confident that I’m going to be able to be here with my brothers and continue to do what I love here at home. So that’s the plan. Nothing’s ever changed on my side, and I love this city, I love this organization.”

Towns, 28, is set to enter the first season of a four-year, $224-million contract. Minnesota’s payroll is expected to exceed $200 million for the 2024-25 campaign, with the 10 players under contract accounting for $185 million, according to Basketball Reference. The franchise is expected to pay the luxury tax for the second time since 2007-08.

The organization can take back more salary, aggregate contracts, and send cash in trades but would trigger the second apron restrictions under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement for next season if done before July 1. Those restrictions include losing the mid-level exception and the ability to combine multiple salaries in trades.

If the Timberwolves were to trade Towns, the receiving team would also have the first apron hard cap triggered due to his $49.4-million salary for 2024-25 – the seventh highest in the league.

Towns struggled at times during the playoffs, averaging just 15 points over the first three games of the conference finals. He averaged 19.1 points and nine rebounds over Minnesota’s postseason run.

The Timberwolves are coming off their second-best season in franchise history, going 56-26 and reaching the conference finals for the second time.