You may or may not have thought of the Minnesota Timberwolves as a team that boasts two of the Top-100 highest-paid professional athletes. I will admit that the thought has never crossed my mind. A recent article caught my eye, and I was surprised at its contents.
Sportico has released their annual 100 Highest-Paid Athletes in the World for 2022, and the Minnesota Timberwolves boast two of the Top 100 athletes from that list. While you may not initially consider the Timberwolves as a team where professional athletes go to make their fortune, the team has made more than their fair share of highly compensated professional athletes.
- 69. D’Angelo Russell – Minnesota Timberwolves – $27M salary $6M endorsements $33M Total compensation
- 82. Karl-Anthony Towns – Minnesota Timberwolves – $28.5M salary $3M endorsements $31.5M Total compensation
You may have thought that Karl-Anthony Towns was the top wage-earner for the Timberwolves, but you would only be partially correct. While he nudges out D’Angelo Russell in NBA salary earnings, he is behind on endorsement deals. As a result, he trails Russell on the list, although he is only trailing by $1.5 million.
Big earnings or big value?
Now the question is, are the Timberwolves getting their money’s worth? In terms of the NBA centers, I believe that Karl-Anthony Towns is a bargain for the Timberwolves. He leads or is near the top in scoring, rebounds, blocks, and even makes his presence felt on the court in assists and steals.
There may be some debate over D’Angelo Russell’s value at his current $27-million salary. He has adapted to his role as a team facilitator, and his assists of 7.1 per game were his career-high. Unfortunately, that facilitating has come at the expense of his own production. His 18.1 points per game were the lowest point of the past five seasons. His shooting from the floor, 41.1 percent, was the lowest that has been for the past six seasons. Even his three-point shooting accuracy is at a five-year low.
Of course, part of that may simply be the growing pains over learning how to run the floor with Anthony Edwards. As the Timberwolves prune and graft players to the roster for the 2022-23 NBA season, it’s something to keep on your radar.