11/20/07
When public address announcer Eddie Palladino belts out the Celtics' starting lineup prior to tomorrow night's game against Golden State at TD Banknorth Garden, expect a loud cheer for Kevin Garnett. If the Warriors had it their way, Palladino would be announcing Garnett in their starting lineup instead.
Before Garnett was dealt to Boston in the offseason, Golden State quietly made a strong push to acquire the 10-time All-Star.
"When you have a chance to get one of the three best players in the league, of course you try," said Warriors executive vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin. "The fact is, he was dealt somewhere else. You can't make someone deal it to you. You move forward. When those great players come up, you're automatically interested."
Garnett's agent, Andy Miller, didn't believe the Wolves were serious about trading their all-time leader in points, rebounds, blocks, and assists until early June. Eager to add the future Hall of Famer, the Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Bulls, and Mavericks were the main teams showing interest, according to an NBA source.
The source said the Warriors' package for Garnett included forward Al Harrington, center Andris Biedrins, guard Monta Ellis, and the 18th pick in this year's draft. The Lakers dangled forward Lamar Odom and center Andrew Bynum but couldn't acquire a high draft pick to sweeten the offer. Chicago spoke of sending Ben Gordon or Luol Deng, plus Tyrus Thomas, Thabo Sefolosha, and P.J. Brown in a sign-and-trade and their ninth overall pick for Garnett and another player. Dallas offered anybody but 2007 NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki.
The Garnett trade intensity reached a high level on draft day. Miller's two cellular phones rang wildly with calls from suitors.
"The intensity level and stress during that time was above and beyond what I'm used to during an already pressure-cooked time of year," said Miller, who also represented six prospects in the draft.
The Warriors, however, may have been the most aggressive on draft night.
"There was real dialogue going on," Miller said. "Golden State and Minnesota kept coming back and both were feeling pressure. Minnesota wanted us to be interested in Golden State."
Said Mullin, "There were a lot of other factors probably built in. Maybe a lot of Western teams possibly didn't have a chance."
While Garnett didn't have a no-trade clause, he did have a lot of power because of an opt-out clause after the 2007-08 season. Even if a team acquired Garnett, there was no guarantee he would stay unless he agreed to a contract extension before the trade. And he had a trade kicker worth about $10 million, too.
"There is a lot of behind-the-scenes work," Garnett said. "But at the same time, I know structurally going into my situation with my contract I had a lot of say in where I was going to be moved. I like to be a part of my own business and what's going on with my entities and stuff. So, that was no different."
Garnett strongly respects Warriors star guard Baron Davis. But strong doubts about whether Golden State, which made the playoffs last season for the first time since 1995, could compete for a title immediately made him uncomfortable with a trade there. Even as talented a duo as Garnett and Davis could have been, they still needed a much better supporting cast to overcome the stellar Western Conference likes of reigning NBA champion San Antonio, Phoenix and Dallas to compete for an NBA title. Despite Garnett's power, the Warriors still could have rolled the dice to make the trade and hoped to convince him to stay.
"It was a possibility," said Garnett, 31. "But I wanted to go to a contender. I wanted to go somewhere where we were going to be of substance. I wasn't going to go to a team who I was going to wait on three or four years.
"I don't have three or four years to wait. I have to try to get it now."
Another NBA source said the Wolves would have made the deal if the Warriors drafted Florida State forward Al Thornton and put him in the package. Golden State, however, drafted North Carolina forward Brandon Wright.
The source added that the Warriors tried unsuccessfully to trade Wright's draft rights to teams drafting after them for Thornton. The Clippers drafted Thornton 14th and had no interest in dealing him.
When asked about the draft night rumors surrounding the Warriors, Mullin said, "There is a lot of story telling."
Boston acquired Ray Allen, not Garnett, on draft night, and Miller said Celtics basketball boss Danny Ainge told him he would like to revisit Garnett talks in a couple of days. And on July 31, the Celtics won the Garnett sweepstakes, dealing five players and two draft picks for him. Boston also got Garnett to agree to a three-year, roughly $60 million contract extension and to waive his trade kicker.
So just how close did Golden State come to acquiring Garnett?
"Close," said Mullin. "So close that he's in Boston."
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