Garnett may want to stay

by user ArmchairCraigInTC

All that talk about Kevin Garnett wanting to flee the Timberwolves after a summer draft in which the Minnesota franchise finally took seriously some trade offers for Garnett before deciding they either didn't make sense of the Wolves, didn't offer enough in return, or simply fell through -- well, that may not be the case.

The Pioneer Press is reporting that young SG Rashad McCants, one of the players Garnett is closest to on the team's current roster, is saying that Garnett isn't interested in playing elsewhere; he wants to remain in Minnesota.

According to that story, Garnett likes being the "king" in Minnesota and despite the PR blowup of trade rumors this summer, apparently has no interest in leaving ... now, or next summer, when he would be eligible to opt-out of the final year of his current contract. Of course, it was Garnett who was reported by the press to have mumbled "thank God for opt-outs" during one low point this past season.

Did the network cables between Garnett and Timberwolves management get crossed somehow? It's a high-stakes gamble for Timberwolves ownership.

If Minnesota feels Garnett is likely to even consider opting out after the 2007-08 season, it would be in the team's best interest to trade him now and avoid losing him with no compensation at all.

However, if the team chooses to believe Garnett's desire to not only play out his current contract, but finish his career in Minnesota, two scenarios are possible:

1) Garnett may change his mind and opt-out anyway, or at least refuse to sign an extension, meaning the team could lose him anyway for no compensation, or worse, face trading him next year with the whole NBA knowing Garnett's leaving in 2009 anyway, making the value of trading for him before then much, much lower.

2) Garnett stays true to his word, and the Wolves can use the Big Ticket to mentor the young core of players they are surrounding him with.

It's a high-stakes poker game at this point, and Garnett is using Mccants as his stand-in play maker.

ChristofMVP

873 days ago

Score 1

I have been saying all along, KG is going to remain to T-Wolf. It really seems as though the fans want KG traded more so than KG does.

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ArmchairCraigInTCWaterboy

872 days ago

Score 0

I don't want to see KG traded unless the alternative is losing him and getting nothing in return. The best of all possible worlds would be to have Garnett win an NBA championship IN Minnesota, rewarding his decade-plus of long-suffering service. I'm just not convinced McHale can dig this team out of the LaBrea Tar Pit McHale created around Garnett to pull that off before Garnett retires. So if KG's fed up and wants out, fine, just tell the team so they can trade you and get something in return. Don't leave the Wolves holding the bag and walk away, leaving the Wolves without KG and without compensation.

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Anonymous Fanatic #1

858 days ago

Score 0

Still can't believe KG wants to stay in Minni. Wrote about this topic today actually in my own blog.

http://www.s...es.com/?p=35

Wanted to get someone elses take on the KG situation. I can't believe this guy's loyalty. There is no way they assemble a championship team around him in the next 3 years (at the end of which he'll be 34). It's unfortunate. He's my favorite player in the league. I suppose that KG, Casell, Sprewell '04 team is the best we'll ever see for him.

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