Kevin Garnett has been the centerpiece of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the past decade after being drafted out of high school.
After 12 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kevin Garnett seemed close last night to joining the Boston Celtics in a multi-player trade.
The Timberwolves and the Celtics were trying to complete a deal that would send Garnett, a 31-year-old perennial All-Star forward, to Boston in exchange for multiple players from a list that included forward Al Jefferson, guard Sebastian Telfair, swingman Gerald Green and center Theo Ratliff. Minnesota was also expected to receive at least one draft choice.
Andy Miller, Garnett’s agent, did not return telephone messages, nor did Danny Ainge, the Celtics’ executive director of basketball operations. Both The Boston Globe and The Associated Press reported that Garnett would be traded to Boston.
Garnett, one of the league’s best and most versatile players, has averaged at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists the past nine seasons. The addition of Garnett would give Boston three proven scorers — Garnett, guard Ray Allen and swingman Paul Pierce — making the Celtics instant contenders in the Eastern Conference.
The Celtics tried to acquire Garnett in June, but he blocked the trade because he did not want to play in Boston. Garnett has apparently had a change of heart, and his presence in Boston could help resurrect one of the league’s most storied franchises. Boston has won an N.B.A.-record 16 championships, but none since 1986, and the Celtics have only won three playoffs series in the past nine years.
Garnett has been the centerpiece of Minnesota’s franchise for a decade, but he has been frustrated in his attempts to win a championship. His best season was 2003-4, when he was named the league’s most valuable player and led Minnesota to the Western Conference finals. However, the Timberwolves have not made the playoffs since, and Garnett may realize that a change of scenery could be his only chance to win a title.
If the deal is completed, Garnett was expected to receive a one-year extension on a contract that has one guaranteed year, plus an option year remaining.
It has been an active off-season for the Celtics, who acquired Allen last month in a draft-day deal for guards Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West, and forward Jeff Green of Georgetown, whom Boston drafted with the No. 5 pick. Allen will be 32 when the season begins, but he averaged a career-high 26.4 points last season.
Many Celtics fans seemed disappointed after the draft lottery in which Boston did not get the No. 1 or No. 2 pick and missed the chance to draft Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. But if the Garnett deal is completed, the Celtics will have a superstar in his prime.
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