Kevin Garnett should soon become the newest member of the Celtics, according to multiple league sources who said it was only a matter of time before Boston and Minnesota finalized a blockbuster deal. The Celtics will send Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, and two first-round picks to the Timberwolves for Garnett, terms both sides have agreed to in principle. The 5-for-1 trade will be officially complete once issues concerning Garnett's contract are resolved, but one Celtics official cautioned last night that the deal was not done and would not be complete until today at the earliest, despite reports to the contrary.
The big one
Celtics agree on deal to land Garnett
As of yesterday, there remained issues to negotiate, not least of which were the player option worth $23 million Garnett holds for the 2008-09 season and 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 that Garnett is on a cruise until the end of this week.
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. If Garnett agrees to an extension this time, the Celtics will look to come to reasonable terms as a condition of the deal.
League sources added Garnett is now more amenable to playing in Boston, especially since 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 over the weekend.
"There are serious discussions in place," said Miller yesterday morning.
When asked about the option, and Garnett's willingness to play in Boston, Miller added: "Part of the discussion that is taking place is addressing those issues as well as others to see if the destination makes sense for all parties. Everything is part of the overall picture as to how to bring this to a conclusion or go in a different direction."
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