Sorry, not sorry. Two of the Wolves’ best players are overpaid. Minnesota would be much worse off without Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. But, given that Gobert will make $46.5 million at age 33 and Towns will make $61 million at age 32, Minnesota will owe a lot of money to two elder statesmen.
2. Karl-Anthony Cities
The first of the big two is Towns. Three years younger than his playmate, Towns’ salary is currently commensurate with his level of play. However, his meteoric increase will come next season.
During the 2023 NBA offseason, the Minnesota big man agreed to a four-year, $224 million contract with the Wolves. He’s now locked up in Minneapolis for his age-32 season. Starting next season, Towns will make $49, or about a third of the Wolves’ salary cap.
The former first overall pick is a fantastic player. He’s made four All-Star teams and is already one of the best 7-foot shooters of all time. On the other hand, he’s now dealing with a second straight long-term injury and doesn’t project as a defensive centerpiece in the future.
The Towns-Gobert duo has worked very well this season. But is Towns capable of occupying the middle without Gobert? Will he maintain the foot speed to keep up with faster players as he gets older?
Many questions linger as Towns’ salary steadily rises. Unfortunately for Minnesota, there is no other alternative. Re-signing Towns to a sub-max extension was probably out of the question. The Timberwolves can only hope that the Kentucky product continues to play at a high level in the years to come.
1. Rudy Gobert
The French big man is quite possibly the second most valuable player on the team. His defensive presence is transcendent. He won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and was named an NBA All-Defensive First Team six times.
This season, Gobert is listed for $41 million. Over the next two years, he will be owed $89 million. But before we get too far, he will become eligible for an extension after the conclusion of this season.
The Wolves are certainly in a precarious position after the end of the season. Does it make sense to extend a defensive career as he progresses into his 30s? Probably not, but it’s a price Minnesota might be willing to pay.
If the Wolves win a championship or make a deep playoff run, consider it likely Gobert returns to Minnesota for a few more seasons. It still seems like the perennial Defensive Player of the Year is enjoying the best seasons of his career. But for how long does the key question last?
