Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau is hopeful the Timberwolves franchise will reach a long-term agreement with franchise big man Karl-Anthony Towns before the start of the 2018-19 regular season.

In an interview this week discussing the situation, Thibodeau told the Star Tribune that he's 'very optimistic' a deal will get done before their regular season starts on Oct. 17 against the San Antonio Spurs. An extension would prevent Towns from hitting the market next offseason as a restricted free agent.

"We know how important Karl is to the future of the organization," Thibodeau said.

Last season, Towns averaged 21.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.4 blocks per game as a key cog of the Wolves rotation. He was the team's second-leading scorer behind Jimmy Butler, and a big part of how Minnesota ended its playoff drought that dated all the way back to the 2003-2004 season.

From a production standpoint, Towns' statistics took a slight hit last season in comparison to the previous year, but he's developed into one of the top centers in the NBA. At the conclusion of last season, he earned All-NBA Third Team honors for his output, which qualifies him to ink a deal with Minnesota worth upwards of $187 million should he choose.

Towns was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, and at age 22, Minnesota would be wise to lock him up for the long term. Thibodeau's optimism suggests it may only be a matter of time.