July 30, 2007
What started on a fast track slowed
last night in revived discussions between the Celtics and Timberwolves
involving a trade that would bring Kevin Garnett to Boston. Although the
teams had agreed on a package that reportedly would send Al Jefferson,
Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff and
unspecified draft choices to Minnesota for the All-Star power forward,
many details had yet to be resolved.
With
the league office closed, and thus unable to approve any transaction,
C's director of basketball operations Danny Ainge planned to resume
talks this morning.
Garnett, previously opposed to a
trade to the Celtics when the deal nearly went through prior to the June
28 draft, reportedly has had a change of heart, in part thanks to the
team's draft night trade for Ray Allen as a perimeter complement to Paul
Pierce.
A Celtics source said yesterday that the key
in bringing negotiations back to life was Garnett's sudden willingness
to sign a contract extension - most likely for four years after his
current deal expires following the 2008-09 season.
Garnett
will make $22 million next year and $24 million in '08-09, although he
can opt out of the last year. Garnett also has a 15 percent trade kicker
in his current contract, which the Celtics reportedly were attempting
to get him to waive.
The C's also were searching for ways to lessen the luxury-tax hit they will take next season with Garnett aboard.
Although
Minnesota vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale had been
the driving force behind the trade talks, Timberwolves owner Glen
Taylor reportedly was pushing this deal hardest yesterday. McHale
reportedly was on a cruise and initially unreachable.
Not
only does the trade turn the Celtics into instant contenders for the
Eastern Conference title - if not the NBA title - it also gives them the
most expensive threesome in the league.
Garnett ($22
million), Pierce ($16.4 million) and Allen ($16 million) would tilt the
bank at a combined $54.4 million next season. With Garnett, the Celtics
payroll as a whole would be approximately $66 million, but they also
would have only 11 players under contract after the trade, one short of
the 12-player league minimum. Most likely, they would add a player at
the $5.6 million mid-level exception.
Even with only 11 players, the Celtics now have one of the 10 highest payrolls in the league.
An
Eastern Conference general manager, after going over the money the
Celtics would pay their new ``Big Payday Three,'' said, ``That has to be
some kind of league record.''
At least the Celtics
won't have to worry about disharmony. Allen and Garnett, who both grew
up in South Carolina, are said to have a friendship that goes back to
their earliest days as players.
Pierce, Garnett and
Allen all attended the ESPY Awards in Los Angeles on July 11, and a
potential deal reportedly was discussed. Garnett, previously unmoved by
joining a Celtics team with such dour prospects, suddenly liked what he
saw with the addition of Allen.
Coaches and general
managers throughout the Eastern Conference took note when Cleveland, an
average team with LeBron James its only real star, reached the NBA
Finals last season.
Should the Celtics complete this trade, they will put far more on the floor than anything those Cavaliers could muster.
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