Kevin Garnett will soon become a member of the Boston Celtics, according to multiple league sources who said it was only a matter of time before Boston and the Minnesota Timberwolves finalized a blockbuster deal, The Boston Globe reported.
The Celtics will send Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair and two first-round picks to the Timberwolves for Garnett per terms both sides have agreed to in principle. The trade will be officially complete once issues concerning Garnett’s contract are resolved, but one Celtics official cautioned Monday night that the deal was not done and would not be complete until today at the earliest, despite reports to the contrary.
As of Monday, there remained issues to negotiate, not least of which were the player option worth $23 million Garnett holds for the 2008-09 season as well as a 15 percent trade kicker that must be paid at the time of the deal. According to league sources, the Celtics do not want to be responsible for the entire trade kicker, worth approximately $6.75 million. Also potentially slowing the trade process is the fact Garnett is on a cruise until the end of this week.
The Boston Herald reported Garnett, who waived an option to terminate his contract in 2008, already had agreed in principle to terms on a contract extension with the Celtics.
When talks between Minnesota and Boston took place before this year’s June draft, the option, plus Garnett’s hesitancy to play in Boston, as relayed through his agent Andy Miller, were considerable sticking points.
The Celtics did not want to part with Jefferson and his long- term potential if Garnett would stay in Boston for just one season. Getting Garnett to agree to an extension was the key to the deal.
League sources added Garnett is now more amenable to playing in Boston, especially because he would be teaming with fellow all-stars Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, not Pierce, Wally Szczerbiak and a group of young players with largely unrealized potential. As a result, those same sources said both sides are confident the contractual issues will not block completion of the deal. Trade talks resumed in recent weeks and intensified during the weekend.
While the addition of Garnett, who averaged 22.4 points, 12.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists last season, would give Boston three all-stars, the former NBA MVP comes at a high price financially and otherwise.
With the Celtics looking to keep Garnett in the fold beyond his current contract, a three- to four-year extension could be a pricey proposition, with the power forward’s annual salary likely to fall at about $20 million.
Grizzlies: Memphis signed guard Mike Conley Jr., the fourth overall selection in the NBA draft who averaged 11.3 points, 6.1 assists and 2.2 steals in his only season at Ohio State.
Suns: Phoenix hired former University of Colorado and NBA guard Jay Humphries as an assistant coach.
