Ranking 13 Timberwolves contracts from bargain to nightmare

Probably Overpaid

Sorry, not sorry. Two of the Wolves' best players are overpaid. Minnesota would be a whole lot worse without Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert. But, seeing as Gobert will making $46.5 million as a 33-year-old and Towns $61 million at 32, Minnesota will owe heaps of money to two elder statesmen.

2. Karl-Anthony Towns

The first of the two bigs is Towns. Three years younger than his front court-mate, Towns' salary is currently on par with his level of play. Nevertheless, his meteoric raise will kick in next season.

In the 2023 NBA offseason, the Minnesota big man agreed to a four-year, $224 million deal with the Wolves. He's now locked into Minneapolis through his age-32 season. Starting next season, Towns will make $49 or roughly 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 shooting 7-footers of all time. On the flip side, he's now suffered a second consecutive long-term injury and doesn't project as a defensive centerpiece going forward.

The Towns-Gobert pairing has worked very well this season. But, is Towns capable of manning the middle sans Gobert? Will he retain the foot speed to keep up with more fleet-of-foot players as he progresses in age?

Numerous questions persist while Towns' salary steadily rises. Unfortunately for Minnesota, there's no other alternative. Re-signing Towns to a less-than-max extension was likely out of the question. The Timberwolves can only hope the Kentucky product continues to play at a high-level for years to come.

1. Rudy Gobert

The French big man is more than likely the second-most valuable player on the team. His defensive presence is transcendent. He's won three Defensive Player of the Year awards and been named an All-NBA Defense First Teamer six times.

This season, Gobert is on the books for $41 million. Over the next two, he'll be owed $89 million. But before we get too far ahead, he'll become extension-eligible after the conclusion of this season.

The Wolves are certainly in a precarious position following the season's end. Does it make sense to extend a defensive-oriented big as he progresses into his mid-to-late 30s? Probably not, but it's a price Minnesota might just be willing to pay.

If the Wolves win a championship, or make a deep playoff run, consider it likely Gobert re-ups with Minnesota for an additional few seasons. It still appears the perennial Defensive Player of the Year is enjoying the prime seasons of his career. But for how long is the key question?