Karl-Anthony Towns wants to spend his whole career with Timberwolves
This is music to Minnesota's ears
•
1 min read
As if Minnesota Timberwolves fans weren't in love with Karl-Anthony Towns already, the Rookie of the Year told the Associated Press' Jon Krawczynski on Wednesday that he hopes to spend his entire career in Minneapolis:
Karl-Anthony Towns held his first MN basketball clinic at Hopkins: "I love being here. Hopefully I can spend the rest of my career here"
— Jon Krawczynski (@APkrawczynski) July 27, 2016
Towns is coming off one of the best debut campaigns in NBA history, and the Wolves have the most impressive collection of young talent the league has seen since the Oklahoma City Thunder had Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka. While it could take the 20-year-old Towns a while to realize his immense defensive potential, his offensive game is already as polished as almost anyone else's at his position. If Minnesota does end up being his long-term home, then the franchise will be extremely fortunate.
A couple of thoughts on this, though:
- Let's not hold him to this when he eventually hits free agency. This happened to Kevin Durant, and it was silly. Again, he's 20 years old. Right now, he wants to spend his whole career with the organization that drafted him. The team could change, as could his priorities.
- Towns has every reason to say this kind of thing right now. New Timberwolves president and coach Tom Thibodeau has inherited a roster that is the envy of the rest of the NBA. It's not merely Towns and fellow former No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins; guards Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine could become stars, too. Towns told the AP that he wants people to know "we're coming" and "things are about to change," and this does not sound like run-of-the-mill offseason optimism. If the young Wolves develop as they should under Thibodeau, then they'll want to stick together as long as possible.
