KG to Boston done deal!!

[florige]

http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/10275030

[ducks]

Celtics agree to acquire Garnett for four players, draft pick
July 30, 2007
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports



BOSTON -- Kevin Garnett is leaving Minnesota after the Boston Celtics agreed to acquire the All-Star forward in a multiplayer trade with the Timberwolves, a Celtics official told the Associated Press on Monday.

Among the players who could be headed to Minnesota are forward Al Jefferson, guard Sebastian Telfair, swingman Gerald Green and center Theo Ratliff, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been completed. The official also said the Timberwolves would get at least one draft choice.

The teams still had some things to clarify with the players' contracts, but the official said that would not keep the Celtics from acquiring Garnett, although there could be a change in the players ticketed for the Timberwolves.

There was a chance that a conference call announcing the trade would be held Monday, the official said.

Garnett, 31, has spent all of his 12 NBA seasons with Minnesota. He would get an extension of his contract, which has one year plus an option year remaining, the official said.

The Celtics had tried to get Garnett late last month, but his agent said he didn't want to go to Boston.

Since then, Boston acquired seven-time All-Star guard Ray Allen from Seattle in a draft day deal. Already with Paul Pierce, the Celtics would become instant contenders in the mediocre Atlantic Division with Garnett, even without promising forward Jefferson.

The Celtics obtained Allen and the 35th pick of the draft for guards Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak, and forward Jeff Green of Georgetown, whom they drafted with the fifth pick.

The Celtics have won just three playoff series during Pierce's nine years with them. They still have an NBA-record 16 championships, but none since 1986.

"They have no excuses, this team out there," Danny Ainge, the executive director of basketball operations, said after Allen was acquired.

Pierce, 29, led the Celtics in scoring last season but played only 47 games because of injury.

Allen, who turns 32 next month, averaged a career-high 26.4 points last season, his 11th, but underwent surgery to remove bone spurs on both ankles that required him to wear protective boots. He is expected to be ready for training camp.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2006-2007, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

[duncan228]

Wow.

Couldn't believe until I saw it.

[timvp]

Good deal for the T'Wolves. Al Jefferson is closer to Dwight Howard level potential than people realize. Gerald Green is also a good prospect.

The Celtics have about a two year window to win a championship or they'll go back to square one.

[TxJudsonRocketTx]

Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce.
Yikes. If Ray Ray's ankles hold up that could be a ridiculous team to try and stop

[Streakyshooter08]

Interesting! This really shakes up the east. Boston just became a contender. I wonder what the final deal will look like.

[ShoogarBear]

LMAO. The Celtics finally assemble a team that can beat the Spurs, and then they blow it up.

[ducks]

wolves can also trade theo later
to a team wanting to dump salary
11 million expiring contract

[whottt]

IF the Celtics can keep Rondo instead of Telfair this deal is even better for them...although giving up Green gives their youth a hit...Rondo is more of an impact player.


I like this deal for the Celtics...

[ThomasGranger]

Looks like either the Nets or Wizards aren't going to be in the playoffs this year.

[Bruno]

The deal isn't done for the moment.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

God I hope they sent Rondo to the Wolves.

[bdictjames]

Scary. Win the East?

[El_Mago]

Sign Udoka.

Udoka guards Allen.

Bowen on Pierce...although, it seems at times that Pierce abuses Bowen.

Duncan vs. KG....

Boston's bench is still weak.

[Pistons < Spurs]

Kevin Garnett is leaving Minnesota after the Boston Celtics agreed to acquire the All-Star forward in a multiplayer trade with the Timberwolves, a Celtics official told The Associated Press on Monday.

Among the players who could be headed to Minnesota are forward Al Jefferson, guard Sebastian Telfair, swingman Gerald Green and center Theo Ratliff, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been completed. The official also said the Timberwolves would get at least one draft choice.

The teams "ran into a few things that need clarification" in the players' contracts, but the official said that would not keep the Celtics from acquiring Garnett, although there could be a change in the players ticketed for the Timberwolves.

There was a "50-50" chance that a conference call announcing the trade would be held Monday, the official said.

Garnett, 31, has spent all 12 of his NBA seasons with Minnesota. He would get an extension of his contract, which has one year plus an option year remaining, the official said.

The Celtics had tried to get Garnett late last month but his agent said he didn't want to go to Boston.

Since then, Boston acquired seven-time all-star guard Ray Allen from Seattle in a draft day deal. They still have Paul Pierce. Adding Garnett would make the Celtics, who were 24-58 last season, an instant contender in the mediocre Atlantic Division, although they'd have to part with promising forward Jefferson.

The Celtics obtained Allen and the 35th pick of the draft for guards Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak and forward Jeff Green of Georgetown, whom they drafted with the fifth pick.

The Celtics have won just three playoff series during Pierce's nine years with them. They still have an NBA record 16 championships but none since 1986.

"They have no excuses, this team out there," Danny Ainge, the executive director of basketball operations, said after Allen was acquired.

Pierce, 29, led the Celtics in scoring last season but played only 47 games because of injury.

Allen, who turns 32 next month, averaged a career-high 26.4 points last season, his 11th, but underwent surgery to remove bone spurs on both ankles that required him to wear protective boots. He is expected to be ready for training camp.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2007-07-30-garnett-celtics_N.htm

[HighLowLobForBig-50]

good for the celtics.

[timvp]

I like this deal for the Celtics...

If the worst basketball GM in history likes this deal for the Celtics, the Celtics are doomed.

[MoSpur]

If Allen can stay healthy, the Celtics will be good. A favorite in the East that's for sure.

[mardigan]

Celts should be in the Finals. Good for Boston, they finally become relevant again

[whottt]

Remember when I used to ridicule whottt's defense of Isiah's eye for talent and now I routinely suggest Isiah's finds for Spurs offseason pickups? I don't.


I don't like this trade for the Celtics, that said, I think it's a good trade for the Celtics.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

This turns Celtics into the automatic favorite in the East IMO. The Cavs were proven to be suckahs after they were chode bloaded in the Finals. Plus they had an easy path. The East is now
Celtics
Cavs
Pistons
Heat
and that's not too shabby of a top 4 teams, maybe the East needs this more than we need a mythical long 3.

[E20]

Holy Shit!
This Is The Most Exciting News Of The Summer For Me. Lol

This Is Crazy.

[justanotherspursfan]

God I hope they sent Rondo to the Wolves.
If they end up with Rondo instead of Telfair, I really like this deal for the Wolves. They won't be a contender for a while, but at least they show signs of having a future.

Well, if they get rid of McHale anyway.

If they get Telfair, it's not a terrible deal, but it's not great, either.

[The_Game]

Telfair
Jefferson
Ratliff
Green
Gomes

are the guys heading to Minny.

[Fillmoe]

Celtics just traded away their future........ they have 2-3 years to get it done or it would have been all for nothing

[BacktoBasics]

Doc Rivers will fuck this up. At least Minny will get some cap relief.

[whottt]

Celtics just traded away their future........ they have 2-3 years to get it done or it would have been all for nothing


The Celtics have been building for the future for like 20 years now...

[E20]

Garnett, Allen and Pierce should get together and talk about the upcoming season. In fact they need to call a team meeting and talk about this whole situation and how the rotation and the touches are going to go. If Celts make it to the finals against the Spurs, it would be good marketing; Stern would love it - TD vs KG. And the whole nation can see who is the best PF, when TD gives Garnett a spanking.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Now we need to sign Udoka.

[Darkwaters]

The Celtics look pretty good after this trade...I'm just still seriously worried about their depth. They have a starting lineup of Rondo/Allen/Pierce/Garnett/Perkins, which is extremely strong. The problem is that beyond those 5 guys they have basically nothing. If you're a Celtics fan you have to be praying that Glen "Big Baby" Davis picks things up quickly and that Brian Scalabrine can elevate his game. Otherwise, you're hosed. If the Celts can sign some cheap vets at the minimum (the Jacque Vaughn type) that know how to handle themselves then they'll be ok. But one injury to any of the starting 5 (even Rondo or Perkins, but especially Allen, Pierce and Garnett) and their chances of competing go way down.

[Spurminator]

Should be fun. I'm happy to see the Celtics make themselves relevant again.

[CubanMustGo]

Interesting observations by Stein on how this is all going to work out.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=TradeKicker101


Trade Kicker 101: Lots of math involved in a KG megadeal

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Updated: July 26, 2007

As we inch closer to a real, live Kevin Garnett trade, you will hear and read more about the trade bonus in Garnett's contract -- more commonly known as a trade kicker -- and how it has impact on Minnesota's forthcoming deal with Boston.

The following four-step breakdown dissects the trade-kicker specifics involved here and some of the other math variables tied to this megadeal.

But first some background: A good deal of this knowledge comes from ESPN.com capologist/Trade Machine maestro Nick Silva and our dear friend Larry Coon. Professor Coon not only has a handy knack for distilling salary-cap complexities into understandable English while running one of the best websites known to man -- his NBA Salary Cap FAQ -- but also is a former student and teacher at the prestigious Titan Tech ... which is more commonly known as Cal State Fullerton.

On to the breakdown:

1. Garnett only has a limited ability to waive his trade kicker. He can't just waive it to make a trade easier -- even if he wanted to -- no matter what you've heard or read. The rules state that Garnett can only waive the amount necessary to make a deal legal based on salary-cap rules.

So how would this work in real life?

Garnett's salary for next season is $22 million and the trade kicker is $6.75 million, meaning that Boston would have to accommodate $28.75 million in salary and send out at least $22.92 million in a trade if Garnett is to receive the full bonus.

But the latest incarnation of the trade is believed to include the following five Celtics for a total of $18,921,547: Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair and Ryan Gomes. If no other Celtics are added to the deal, Boston could only take back $23,751,934 in salary, meaning Garnett would have to consent to waiving nearly $5 million of his trade kicker ... $4,998,066 to be exact.

Garnett's take-home trade bonus would thus be reduced to $1,751,934. But the assumption is that he would more than make that back in the long-term extension he's expected to receive from the Celtics as part of this extravaganza.

2. Garnett is one of only a handful of current players whose trade kicker causes such havoc.

The league's most recent labor agreement stipulates that a trade kicker cannot raise a player's salary above the maximum salary allowed. Yet players such as Garnett, who were signed prior to the 2005-06 season, have seen their contracts grandfathered in and are not subject to this restriction.

The problem is that a language error in the new agreement made grandfathered players like Garnett -- as well as Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki and a few others -- technically untradeable. This necessitated an amendment which stipulates that such players can be traded, with the player's full trade kicker applied to the trade and waived only in the circumstances explained in No. 1.

League officials, I'm told, preferred putting Garnett and Co. in position to collect their full trade bonus as opposed to giving them what would amount to no-trade authority. This way the teams retain more control and can always choose not to do a trade if they don't want to pay the bonus.

3. If a Garnett trade had been completed before July 1, Garnett's trade kicker would have been charged in equal amounts to Boston's payroll last season and next season at $3.375 million each. Completing the deal after July 1 requires Boston to charge the entire $6.75 million to its 2007-08 payroll.

That's one big reason why trading for Garnett after the draft became a virtual impossibility for the Phoenix Suns.

Phoenix, sources say, was Garnett's preferred destination if he had to leave the only team he has ever played for, but the Suns wanted to complete a deal without getting deeper in luxury-tax purgatory ... and without surrendering Amare Stoudemire. Typical Suns, wanted to give up nothing to get something big. Kind of like they don't want to play defense but think they should win a championship anyway.

Yet since the Suns are over the luxury-tax threshold, even after shedding Kurt Thomas' contract, they'd have to pay $13.5 million just for Garnett's trade kicker, without even accounting for his salary or the assets they'd have to give up to get KG.

While the salary-cap math in a hypothetical KG-to-Phoenix deal might have allowed Garnett to waive some of his trade bonus and thus make things a little more palatable, the most likely scenarios after July 1 would have had the Suns incurring astronomical costs to make this happen.

The Celtics, by contrast, will only stray into luxury-tax territory after adding Garnett, but sources say Celtics ownership is comfortable doing so for a player of Garnett's stature.

4. The longest extension Garnett can sign with the Celtics is a four-year deal. Garnett has two seasons left on his current contract and the total -- contract plus extension -- can't exceed six years.

Sparing you all the complicated calculations, side restrictions involved here and unknowns about where the salary cap will be in July 2009, Coon contends that the most lucrative extension Garnett could sign is a four-year package worth an estimated $116 million.

Trust me: You won't get a more bankable figure than that. Especially for someone who has never proven that he can make a team better.

[Mr. Body]

Good deal for the T'Wolves. Al Jefferson is closer to Dwight Howard level potential than people realize. Gerald Green is also a good prospect.

The Celtics have about a two year window to win a championship or they'll go back to square one.

Al Jeff isn't nearly that good. Minnesota got creamed in this deal, but they kind of had to. Since they had to sell Garnett now, it's not terrible.

[L.I.T]

Doc Rivers is still coaching right? Right.

This would be a better trade for the Celtics if they weren't saddled with an idiot coach.

For Minny, getting Jefferson and Gomes is decent; along with the cap relief. Telfair has gone from being traded for a first round pick...to filler.

[confined]

I see them as the 5th, possibly 4th best team in the league now...behind the spurs, mavs, suns, and possibly the heat...

suns vs celtics games should be hella fun to watch

[polandprzem]

Al Jeff isn't nearly that good. Minnesota got creamed in this deal, but they kind of had to. Since they had to sell Garnett now, it's not terrible.

With KG they were constantly out of playoff.

Nothing to lose.

[tlongII]

Boston fleeced Minny on this. Jefferson and Green are both talented, but are both head cases as well. Ainge finally did something that was not stupid.

[SenorSpur]

Never thought I'd see the day, but good for KG.

That new Celtics team may challenge in the East, but they still wont beat the top three teams in the West.

[polandprzem]

Boston fleeced Minny on this. Jefferson and Green are both talented, but are both head cases as well. Ainge finally did something that was not stupid.

He faced Mchale on that one so he had some chances winning ...



:p:

[Reckless28]

spurs and celtics in the finals???

bring it on.

[dg7md]

I am glad he's not in the west, or on the Suns.

Good for the Celts, they should really make a splash now, three of their guys averaged over 24 points and they are going to be instant east favorites.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

I can't wait to read Simmon's take on this :lol

[Ya Vez]

should do good in the leastern conference .. but they have no depth after the starting five.. I wonder if ray allen will accept a manu type of 6th man roll to help them out.. but what do I know... lol

[mardigan]

should do good in the leastern conference .. but they have no depth after the starting five.. I wonder if ray allen will accept a manu type of 6th man roll to help them out.. but what do I know... lol
They will already have a good 6th man coming off the bench if Tony Allen comes back full strength. I think Big baby and Leon Powe will also be able to contribute off the bench. They def have to get a couple more guards though

[timvp]

Al Jeff isn't nearly that good. Minnesota got creamed in this deal, but they kind of had to. Since they had to sell Garnett now, it's not terrible.

Al Jefferson is going to be a 20 and 10 player within two years. Gerald Green can score. This is a good trade for the Celtics for the next two seasons. But looking back on it in five years, it'll be a steal for the T'Wolves.

The Celtics are now in championship or bust mode. If they don't win a championship, they are soon going to be in an even worse position than they were last season.

[ManuTastic]

The Celtics look pretty good after this trade...I'm just still seriously worried about their depth. They have a starting lineup of Rondo/Allen/Pierce/Garnett/Perkins, which is extremely strong. The problem is that beyond those 5 guys they have basically nothing.

Doesn't matter that much. Most of the rest of the East can be described as "basically nothing" anyway. This trade makes Boston THE team to beat in the east. Period.

Who's gonna beat 'em?

[exstatic]

You get three playoff losers together...and you have three playoff losers....and no bench. Of course, Cleveland managed to make the Finals this year, so I suppose anything is possible. And WTF is Boston thinking with that extension? They're going to be paying a 37 YO K.G like $30M!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I'll reiterate what I said yesterday, with emphasis:

"Boston lost half their pieces in the Allen trade and needed to make another blockbuster to try and do something in Pierce's window. KG+Allen+Pierce equals playoffs if they can get a decent distributing PG and Doc Rivers doesn't mess it up.

After the 2nd decadal Boston draft fiasco (see Simmons, Bill), Boston needed to go either full-on rebuild or shop everything they had and put together some big deals. I would have done the former, they did the latter, and if they do this deal they have a 1 year window to prove something with those three. They're doing a Redsox and going for instant gratification rather than building around Jefferson, and in doing so are mortgaging their future.

I think they'll be interesting next year and flame out in the second round, then KG will head somewhere else, Allen's ankles will pack it in and they'll have to trade Pierce for prospects and go into full rebuild mode. That will also be the end of Rivers and Ainge, and Bill Simmons will be found on the ledge of a tall building, mumbling incoherently with a torn Celtics #44 in his fists. Book it."

The only difference is that it looks like KG will sign an extension, so yeah, this team has 2-3 years and then has to rebuild.

Eagerly awaiting the Simmons article about this...

[Amuseddaysleeper]

you guys are REALLY overrrating the celtics, even after this trade.


the team lacks depth, allen is only getting older, and it's gonna take a lot more than a 3 man team to win it all

[The_Game]

you guys are REALLY overrrating the celtics, even after this trade.


the team lacks depth, allen is only getting older, and it's gonna take a lot more than a 3 man team to win it all

Allen will be good for quite a few more years. he is not a fitness player. He plays basketball like stockton did in terms of playing to his strengths. he is coming off a career year at 31/32.

Celtics still have their MLE and LLE...i would expect them to fill out their roster with decent bench players.

spurs basically won the title with 3 main guys. why can't other teams do it?

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

A certain somebody is going to make the comparison of this trade to a certain mound of round being moved to the desert and I'm going to register my disagreement here.

Minnesota's going to be an also-ran in the race for the last playoff spot for maybe one, two seasons and be a mid-level contender within four seasons.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Allen will be good for quite a few more years. he is not a fitness player. He plays basketball like stockton did in terms of playing to his strengths. he is coming off a career year at 31/32.

Celtics still have their MLE and LLE...i would expect them to fill out their roster with decent bench players.

spurs basically won the title with 3 main guys. why can't other teams do it?


because the spurs still had bruce bowen, robert horry, michael finley, and brent barry after the big 3


the spurs are a solid team 1-12

the celtics are a solid team 1-3

[2centsworth]

As a Celtic fan I like this trade. This was an organization in desperate need of momentum. In the East there's no reason why this team can't come out of the east. Once you're in the finals anything can happen. One Championship is worth 3 years of rebuilding.

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

Ray Allen = IN PRIME all star
Paul = IN PRIME all star
KG = IN PRIME all star BIG MAN




there is NO excuse why this team can't win the east


they got 3 players that can drop 30+ at any given night and they have now have a 20+ 10+ big man

[mardigan]

because the spurs still had bruce bowen, robert horry, michael finley, and brent barry after the big 3


the spurs are a solid team 1-12

the celtics are a solid team 1-3
Rondo and Tony Allen (hopefully fully recovered) are both really nice prospects. And Perkins has shown some glimpses, he is still young.
They will probably still manage to bring in a cheap vet like Brevin Knight or PJ Brown.
They could be pretty good
Just better hope none of the big 3 get hurt

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Ray Allen = IN PRIME all star
Paul = IN PRIME all star
KG = IN PRIME all star BIG MAN




there is NO excuse why this team can't win the east


they got 3 players that can drop 30+ at any given night and they have now have a 20+ 10+ big manI agree, this Celtics team is now prime for a finals appearance. Notice I don't mention winning a Championship, because for that, they have to go through US... :devil

[remingtonbo2001]

Rondo and Tony Allen (hopefully fully recovered) are both really nice prospects. And Perkins has shown some glimpses, he is still young.
They will probably still manage to bring in a cheap vet like Brevin Knight or PJ Brown.
They could be pretty good
Just better hope none of the big 3 get hurt

That's the funny thing about the Spurs, they're deep enough to withstand, short-medium term injuries during the regular season, even to one of the Big 3, most notable being Duncan in 05, with the injuries to the ankles. Having a thin bench, can be disasterous, wearing down others that remain healthy. I like Pop's style, fly through the regular season, be prepared come April. Really, this is going to come down to Doc Rivers, is he good enough to manage their minutes right, or is he going to ride them hard throughout the regular season, like Mike D'Antonio and Pheonix.

[exstatic]

Newsflash: 30 YO wing players and 32 YO SGs are NO LONGER in their primes. KG also has two more years (12) on his odometer than Tim, who is the oldest of our Big Three.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

We will definitely be able to beat them. KG and Tim cancel each other out. Bruce can be on Ray Allen and Manu can be on Pierce, although Pierce will probably still get his points. Their 3 already have their hands full with those matchups. And then they have to worry about Tony. Rondo is a good defender, but he won't stop Tony. Then it would be better to have Elson in the starting lineup against them so he can out-run Perkins. Perkins is basically another Jackie Butler before he shed off his weight.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Newsflash: 30 YO wing players and 32 YO SGs are NO LONGER in their primes. KG also has two more years (12) on his odometer than Tim, who is the oldest of our Big Three.Didn't Allen average 26 pts last season, thats the highest of his career. KG was 22 and 12. I'd say they're still in their prime years for at least 2 more seasons, wouldn't you say?

[mardigan]

So who/how many players do the T-Wolves have to get rid of now?

[inconvertible]

Ray Allen = IN PRIME all star
Paul = IN PRIME all star
KG = IN PRIME all star BIG MAN




there is NO excuse why this team can't win the east


they got 3 players that can drop 30+ at any given night and they have now have a 20+ 10+ big man


4 words

BACK TO THE BASKET

[SequSpur]

So let me get this straight... KG to the Celtics doesn't help the Celtics contend in the East and signing Bonner to a 3 year/3 mill deal makes the Spurs better?

Remember the topic.. Some of you..............

fill in the blanks....

[SequSpur]

Newsflash: 30 YO wing players and 32 YO SGs are NO LONGER in their primes. KG also has two more years (12) on his odometer than Tim, who is the oldest of our Big Three.

dude, he hasn't been in the playoffs in 2 years...

KG is very good. I don't get the hate.

[exstatic]

Didn't Allen average 26 pts last season, thats the highest of his career. KG was 22 and 12. I'd say they're still in their prime years for at least 2 more seasons, wouldn't you say?
Not saying they're not going to be effective, but prime? No. Each one is on the downside, Allen moreso than the other two. They'll also take shots away from each other.

[exstatic]

dude, he hasn't been in the playoffs in 2 years...

KG is very good. I don't get the hate.

Irony is...well ironic.

[PM5K]

It's funny that you can trade for a bunch of old guys that haven't done shit with their careers and become an instant contender in the East, but it is what it is...

[Darkwaters]

you guys are REALLY overrrating the celtics, even after this trade.


the team lacks depth, allen is only getting older, and it's gonna take a lot more than a 3 man team to win it all

Agreed. Afterall, doesn't KG have a line of commercials with Adidas saying "it takes 5". Well, they have 3 now. 2 to go...

The Celtics might win the east...but they have virtually no chance in the finals against 75% of the western teams.

[inconvertible]

they also have big baby

they have

big baby
whiny baby
knifed baby
tall skinny baby

[E20]

What a load of shit. Look what's on the front of Yahoo.com

Saving the NBA
Kevin Garnett will not only revive the sorry Celtics, he'll save the battered image of the NBA

Suddenly, KG is the saviour of the NBA? PUH-LEESE

[Leetonidas]

they also have big baby

they have

big baby
whiny baby
knifed baby
tall skinny baby
You mean "Cry Baby."

[mffl89]

I can't wait to read Simmon's take on this :lol

He is loving it.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070730

"McHale adds another notch to his Celtics legacy
Simmons

By Bill Simmons
Page 2

Updated: July 30, 2007, 9:48 PM ET

* Email
* Print

Editor's Note: Although the trade of Kevin Garnett to the Celtics hasn't been officially announced, numerous parties (including ESPN.com) were reporting a deal was in place Monday. Here's The Sports Guy's reaction to the news of KG's impending arrival.

During Kevin McHale's 13-year career in Boston, he helped the Celtics capture three championships, redefined the lost art of low-post play, defended everyone from Bernard King to Andrew Toney to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and peaked as the best power forward alive in 1986 and '87. I loved watching him, I loved rooting for him and, most of all, I loved him for risking his career in the '87 playoffs by playing on a broken foot. Boston ended up losing the NBA Finals in six and his career was never quite the same. To this day, he walks with a slight limp. To this day, he says he'd do it again.

When we raised McHale's No. 32 to the rafters, naturally, we assumed his last great Boston moment happened in a '93 playoff series against Charlotte, when McHale reached back in time and tortured the Hornets down low for 35 unfathomable points in Game 2. The Garden was rocking, McHale was moving like the old McHale and everything seemed right with the world again. It was one of those ESPN Classic games that you knew you'd always remember even as it was happening. And if that had been his last great act for the Celtics, I would have been fine with it.

Kevin Mchale

Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Kevin McHale, who won three titles in Celtic green, may make Boston a contender again.

Fast-forward to 2007. The Celtics haven't mattered in 15 years. We've won three playoff series since McHale retired. We've had three above-.500 seasons. We've had terrible front-office executives and terrible coaches, people who were so horrendous at their jobs it almost defied belief. We've had a whopping two All-Stars, neither of whom
was a top-10 player (although they were paid like it). Quite simply, we've sucked. Even worse, the people running the team were panicking like a teenage couple waiting for the results of a pregnancy test, culminating in last month's bizarre decision to trade the No. 5 pick for Ray Allen. We were stuck in no man's land, just good enough to make the playoffs, just young enough that we weren't making noise, and by the time our young guys matured, Allen would have been finished. For the past four weeks, I've probably been the angriest I've ever been at my favorite team.

But here's what I wasn't counting on …

Our old friend Kevin McHale.

My NBA guide claims that McHale retired from the Celtics in 1993, but apparently that's a misprint. How else could you explain his decision to trade Kevin Garnett to Boston for the Al Jefferson pu pu platter deluxe? Just five weeks ago, McHale and Minnesota couldn't close a potential deal in which they received Jefferson and Boston's No. 5 pick. Now? They're settling for Jefferson (a potential franchise player), Ryan Gomes (an intangibles guy who's useless on a bad team), Bassy Telfair (a year away from signing in Italy), Gerald Green (a homeless man's J.R. Smith), Theo Ratliff's expiring deal, a 2009 lottery-protected No. 1 pick (congrats on picking in the mid-20s) and the return of Minny's future No. 1 that was stupidly included in the Ricky Davis/Mark Blount-Wally Szczerbiak trade.

Basically, McHale traded one of the best 25 players ever -- at the tail end of his prime!!! -- for Jefferson (a free agent in two years), one year of Gomes (a free agent in '08, when he'll be leaving treadmarks on his way out of Minnesota), a harmless pick and a do-over for a pick he never should have traded. Last month, McHale walked away from the No. 5 pick in the deal. This month, he couldn't even get Boston to throw in Rajon Rondo.

And honestly? I'm flabbergasted. I was vehemently against trading Jefferson and the No. 5 for KG, only because losing Jefferson wouldn't have been worth competing with two top-25 guys and a roster too young to do anything around them (as well as Doc Rivers coaching that very same team). Now? They have three All-Stars -- KG, Allen and Paul Pierce -- who rank in the top-six at their respective positions. Assuming KG and Allen have 2-3 quality seasons in them, that gives the Celts pole position in the atrocious Eastern Conference for 2008 and 2009, especially if they luck out with one more free-agent signing and an in-season veteran pickup.

Now here's where it gets really good: Pierce, Allen and Garnett happen to be wired the exact same way -- three ultracompetitive guys nearing the end of their primes who would sacrifice anything to play on a winner. All of them were stuck in miserable situations last season (combined record: 87-159), all of them are good guys, all of them understand that you only have so many chances to contend. For all three guys, it will be their best team ever, regardless of who's playing with them. Allen hasn't played with a top-20 player his entire career; neither has Pierce; and Garnett hasn't played with one elite scorer, much less two. For Garnett, his major weakness (crunch-time scoring) gets solved with two proven crunch-time scorers helping him. For Pierce, his major weakness (leadership) gets obscured because he has two intense veterans who know how to deal with the media and lead by example. For Allen, his weakness (a tendency to break down) gets negated because he won't have to carry his team offensively every night.

THREE NOTES

Three notes I couldn't fit into the column:

1. One sad part of the trade -- poor Al Jefferson getting exiled to Minnesota to play for an awful team in a tough conference loaded with good power forwards, and if that's not bad enough, he has to play with Ricky Davis and Mark Blount again and replace the most popular player in T-Wolves history. Yikes. With that said, I still think he's a potential franchise player.

2. Word on the street is that Pierce lobbied KG relentlessly over the past four weeks to change his mind about coming to Boston. And it worked. Two other things helped: The Allen trade increasing Boston's playoff chances, and Phoenix/Chicago refusing to blow their teams up for KG. So if you're scoring at home, black guys do want to play in Boston -- as long as it's for a playoff contender and they have no other options.

3. Chicago fans, you should be bummed -- KG would have ended up in Chicago if John Paxson had simply rolled over P.J. Brown's expiring deal last February for a 2008 expiring deal to preserve that cap number (like Phoenix wouldn't have been interested???).

Just think of these three guys thrown together. All three carried playoff teams further than they should have gone: Pierce in 2002, Garnett in 2004, Allen in 2005. All three were on suicide watch as recently as six weeks ago, wondering how they could extract themselves from untenable (and unwinnable) situations. All three are about to become relevant again in April, May and June. Would you bet against them having monster seasons? Would you bet against them embarking on a 100-game mission to make the Finals? Hell, have three star teammates ever had more to prove in one season?

There's one precedent: In August 1996, when the Rockets mortgaged their future by trading Sam Cassell and Robert Horry to the Suns for Charles Barkley, teamed the Chuckster with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler and crossed their fingers that a paltry supporting cast (basically, Eddie Johnson, Mario Elie and a gigantic hole at point guard) wouldn't sink them. Although Dream and Glide already had won titles, their careers were at a similar point as the KG-Pierce-Allen trio -- each (including Barkley) had peaked as impact players, but each had something left in his tank. Dream averaged a 23 points and 9 rebounds, Barkley recorded 19-13.5, Drexler chipped in with an 18-6-6, and the Rockets won 57 games and came within two victories of the '97 Finals, losing to the Jazz for one reason: Rookie point guard Matt Maloney was absolutely eviscerated by John Stockton. This was like watching Frankie Williams get destroyed by Roddy Piper on Piper's Pit, only if it happened for six straight games over the course of two weeks. That's why they lost.

One year later, Glide and Dream were just about done, Barkley was headed that way and the Rockets finished .500. They haven't won a playoff series since.

The question remains: If you're a Rockets fan, would you make that trade again? You had that Utah series tied 2-2 before blowing a nailbiter in Utah and losing Game 6 on a Stockton buzzer-beater. You were right there. Was it worth it? In my opinion, absolutely. The whole point of fielding an NBA team is to win a title -- if you have the chance, you have to try. Even if it means crossing your fingers with the likes of Matt Maloney.

Eleven years later, the Celtics find themselves in a similar spot: Three All-Stars coupled with a talented but woefully inexperienced point guard (Rondo), a promising defensive stopper coming off major knee surgery (Tony Allen), a decent backup center who plays hard (Kendrick Perkins), a new Mark Madsen for KG (Brian Scalabrine, who's already working on his high-fives and fist-pumps), two undersized power forwards (Big Baby Glen Davis, Leon Powe), two athletic rookies (Brandon Wallace, Gabe Pruitt) and that's it. There isn't an Eddie Johnson or Mario Elie to be seen. Then again, since they're likely to add one or two more ring-hungry veterans, and since the '08 Eastern Conference is between three and 200 times worse than the '97 Western Conference, who knows? In the words of Chris Shiherlis, the bank is worth the risk.

Could the 2008 version of Maloney screw up Boston's first true title contender in 16 years? It's much more likely that Doc will screw it up -- he should have been fired two years ago. Then again, his three biggest problems as a coach have been:

THREE MORE NOTES

Three more notes I couldn't fit into the column:

1. Minny is rebuilding around Jefferson, Corey Brewer, Randy Foye, Gerald Green and Ryan Gomes ... ironically, the same core (along with Paul Pierce) that Boston could have had if it kept its last two first-round picks. So we get to see how it would have worked out if Boston hadn't done anything. It's like watching the Bizarro Celtics.

2. At a post-ESPYS party earlier this month, the sight of KG gliding through the Mondrian's pool bar at 2 a.m. caused even the drunkest people there to do a double-take. Along with Shaq, he's one of the two NBA stars who literally stops any room. I actually remember watching him walk by and thinking, "Wow, we've never had somebody that cool on the Celtics."

3. Celtics radio guy Sean Grande announced Minny games during KG's initial ascent and argued KG's merits as an underrated superduperstar ever since. I asked him for a one-sentence description of KG and here's what he e-mailed back: "All out, every night, heart and soul -- Game 13 in Atlanta, Game 61 on a Monday night aganst Charlotte, Game 6 of the Conference finals, doesn't matter."

A. Coming up with a rotation and sticking to it -- not a problem now since the Celts barely have enough NBA guys on the roster.

B. Killing the confidence of his point guards by yelling at them too much and yanking their minutes around -- not a problem now since Rondo is the only point guard on the roster.

C. Refusing to come up with any semblance of a strategy to defend high screens -- not as much of a problem now because KG is one of the greatest pick-and-roll defenders of all-time.

So maybe Doc won't be as much of an albatross this season. Besides, any team with KG, Pierce and Allen will coach itself. We can only hope.

Regardless, at least the Celtics matter again. From the beginning, Danny Ainge's stated game plan was to blow up a decent 2004 team, stockpile as many assets as possible, then eventually trade those assets for one or two impact guys. In a roundabout way, that's exactly what he did -- even if the Allen trade was a complete I-need-to-save-my-job panic deal, and even if they gambled that a third All-Star miraculously would fall from the sky this summer (which is exactly what happened). Looking back, it was like watching the World Series of Poker and seeing someone say "screw it!" by going all-in with a jack-nine of spades after a flop yielded two more spades. Is it smart to risk everything on the 25-percent chance that you'll get the flush? Well, it depends on how many chips you have left. If you're desperate, and you're running out of money, and you need a momentum swing, maybe you do it. If you get the flush, it doesn't mean you were a good poker player, it just means you were losing chips and had to take an enormous risk because you didn't have any other choice.

For Ainge, the Allen trade was going all-in for the flush and the KG trade was getting that fifth spade on the river. Of course, he's also the reason we were low on chips in the first place, but that's the thing about poker -- even during the most dire times, you're always one lucky hand away from turning things around. For one of the few times since Larry Bird retired, the Celtics lucked out. Now it looks like they can contend in the East. Now the Celtics are on TNT and ESPN for more than two appearances. Now Barkley and Kenny aren't making jokes about us, and free agents actually might want to play for us, and my dad isn't bemoaning the fact that he just threw away money for season tickets again. The Boston Celtics are back. Repeat: The Celtics are back. Even if we had to give up two top-seven picks and the best young low-post player in the league to get there.

"I hate giving up Jefferson," my Dad said, "but we had to do it."

We were on the phone going through the trade, piece by piece. Dad loved watching Jefferson. He thinks Jefferson is going to be special. At the same time, he's getting old and wanted to see them contend again. At the very least, we're contenders. That much is clear. You actually can look forward to Celtics home games again.

"It's amazing this worked out," Dad said. "I always liked McHale -- maybe he had better offers, but he just wanted to help the Celtics out."

"That wouldn't surprise me," I said. "He was a great Celtic."

"Yeah, remember when he played on the broken foot that year? He was a great Celtic."

Maybe he still is.

Bill Simmons is a columnist for Page 2 and ESPN The Magazine. His book "Now I Can Die In Peace" is available in paperback."

[Capt Bringdown]

Suddenly, KG is the saviour of the NBA? PUH-LEESE

Expect to see and hear more of the same. Hyperbole is the sports writers stock and trade. Here's what Simmons (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070730) is saying:


Basically, McHale traded one of the best 25 players ever...

Best 25 EVER? Think not.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

A certain somebody is going to make the comparison of this trade to a certain mound of round being moved to the desert and I'm going to register my disagreement here.

Minnesota's going to be an also-ran in the race for the last playoff spot for maybe one, two seasons and be a mid-level contender within four seasons.

Barkley for Perry, Lang and Hornacek!

There, done.

This is a better deal for Minne than that trade was for Phili. Jefferson and green could be very good players, Gomes is a solid hustle roleplayer. I agree that Minne will be good in a few years.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Great, great... nay, EPIC Simmons article.

I think this trade just reinvigorated his writing career! :lol

I particularly like this:

"Now here's where it gets really good: Pierce, Allen and Garnett happen to be wired the exact same way -- three ultracompetitive guys nearing the end of their primes who would sacrifice anything to play on a winner. All of them were stuck in miserable situations last season (combined record: 87-159), all of them are good guys, all of them understand that you only have so many chances to contend. For all three guys, it will be their best team ever, regardless of who's playing with them. Allen hasn't played with a top-20 player his entire career; neither has Pierce; and Garnett hasn't played with one elite scorer, much less two. For Garnett, his major weakness (crunch-time scoring) gets solved with two proven crunch-time scorers helping him. For Pierce, his major weakness (leadership) gets obscured because he has two intense veterans who know how to deal with the media and lead by example. For Allen, his weakness (a tendency to break down) gets negated because he won't have to carry his team offensively every night."

[zeleni]

I still think Raptors will rule the East. Garnett isn't that good of a player to turn around the Celtics.

[Kamnik]

I still think Raptors will rule the East. Garnett isn't that good of a player to turn around the Celtics.

as much as i liked Raptors this year i dont think they are ready to rule anything

except maybe if Baragnani keeps improving with the pace he improved last year

[Bruno]

The player who will make this trade good or not for Boston is Ryan Gomes.
There are reports with him in the trade and some without him.
If Gomes is traded, Boston will have a hard time finding a good supporting cast to Allen/Pierce/KG.

If Gomes is in the deal, I hope Spurs will try to get him from Minny. I'm not sure that Minny would be interested in keeping him because he hasn't a great upside and will get a big contract next summer. Spurs should offer their 08 first round pick for him even if it likely won't be enough to get him.

[icem]

Never thought I'd see the day, but good for KG.

That new Celtics team may challenge in the East, but they still wont beat the top three teams in the West.

i think they could hang with both dallas and phoenix in a 7 game series.

[icem]

I still think Raptors will rule the East. Garnett isn't that good of a player to turn around the Celtics.


this is the most ridiculous thing ive ever seen written on this board........

[SAGambler]

Good deal for the T'Wolves. Al Jefferson is closer to Dwight Howard level potential than people realize. Gerald Green is also a good prospect.

The Celtics have about a two year window to win a championship or they'll go back to square one.

I think Boston got the short end of the stick on this one.

It may make them better, but I dont see it giving them a championship.

And the Wolves got a bunch of upside here, in Jefferson.

[florige]

Doc Rivers will fuck this up. At least Minny will get some cap relief.


:lol

[DarkReign]

I wasnt under the impression that Pierce or Allen play a lick of defense. Defense wins the East. Defense wins championships. It looks like Boston will be able to score basically at will. Which might just be enough to win the East.

But until I see the team play and have a commitment to the defensive end, Im not sold. BUT, if they do play a better defensive game than say, the Heat, then this team will be a very real contender.

[duncan228]

I read today that Garnett is at least 2 inches taller than his listed height of 6'11'.

Is this true?

(It was an AP article, I don't have time to find a link now, I'll try to later.)

[mathbzh]

I wasnt under the impression that Pierce or Allen play a lick of defense. Defense wins the East. Defense wins championships. It looks like Boston will be able to score basically at will. Which might just be enough to win the East.

But until I see the team play and have a commitment to the defensive end, Im not sold. BUT, if they do play a better defensive game than say, the Heat, then this team will be a very real contender.

With KG patrolling inside the Celtics have something to start with on defense... With their 3 stars playing they will be a tough matchup for any team. But their rotation will be so short that I would be surprise if they go to the ECF. I expect at least one of the 3 to be injured half the season (likeky Pierce or Allen). We will see.

[florige]

ESPN can't stand not to be first with a story. CBS called this a done deal yesterday, and today ESPN has yet to say that the deal is done. It's like they are holding out in hope that CBS was jumping the gun or something.

[Supergirl]

Pierce is actually an underrated defender. He plays pretty good D, though not consistently. Allen plays 0 defense. But KG will be their defensive force in the paint that they haven't had in decades.

The problem is what they will be able to afford to put around those guys.

[Dario]

I still think Raptors will rule the East. Garnett isn't that good of a player to turn around the Celtics.

Garnet is much more similar to TD than many here would like to admit. He just hasn't had good enough players around him.
But still, this team is 1 injury away from lottery, which i think will happen. They are just putting to much on the line and it could backfire. They basicly got 3 stars and no bench. I say they will be .500 team.

[rayweb_on]

kg its not similar to TD ..why..cus he its better player playing far away of the basket he its too fast and has a better shot even better a better paser ..but why they are too diferent and why TD has 4 rings ..cus he plays in the low post ...its there where he its unstoptable ..kg could be too ..but he likes to be fashion get the atention ..be spectacular player ..TD do not...when he is in the low post then manu an tp can play with more freedon ....so they are not similar players

[mardigan]

kg its not similar to TD ..why..cus he its better player playing far away of the basket he its too fast and has a better shot even better a better paser ..but why they are too diferent and why TD has 4 rings ..cus he plays in the low post ...its there where he its unstoptable ..kg could be too ..but he likes to be fashion get the atention ..be spectacular player ..TD do not...when he is in the low post then manu an tp can play with more freedon ....so they are not similar players
The players that each has played with through their careers arent even close.
Bottom line, the T-Wolves front office has given Garnett a chance to win one time in his career, while Tim is surrounded by a team that has a chance every year

[saporvida]

the difference is that tim duncan is tim duncan and kevin garnett is kevin garnett. one is a winner and the other a loser. that's all.

ps: it would be nice to see both in the finals this coming yr.

[FromWayDowntown]

One interesting sidelight coming out of this story is the nearly-here demise of the player who spends his entire career with just one franchise. On the baseball side of things, one point that made the Gwynn/Ripken enshrinement last weekend so momentous was the fact that each of those great, great players spent his entire career in one organization.

In the NBA, like other sports, we see less and less of that. If you look at just the 2007 All-Star teams, of the 29 players who were selected to participate in that game, 18 have been traded by teams or changed teams via free agency at some point during their careers. Of the 11 who haven't changed teams, only 3 had been with their team for more than 5 seasons: Tim Duncan, Shawn Marion, and Tony Parker. (I guess you could include Kobe and Dirk on that list, but each has actually been traded -- Kobe from Charlotte after the 1996 draft and Dirk from Milwaukee after the 1998 draft)

As great as Timmy has been, I think his legacy will be enhanced, if only ever so slightly, by the fact that it appears that he will spend his entire career with only one franchise. That's a unique feat anymore, even for the greatest players in the game. For small-market San Antonio to have been blessed with two iconic players of this era and to have had each of them play his entire career in San Antonio is truly, truly remarkable. We've never had to share the greatness of Tim or Dave with anyone else.

[ShoogarBear]

The players that each has played with through their careers arent even close.
Bottom line, the T-Wolves front office has given Garnett a chance to win one time in his career, while Tim is surrounded by a team that has a chance every yearBut could you envision a scenario where you switch Duncan for Garnett on any of his teams and they don't even make the playoffs?

I can't.

Now, some of that may have to do with the fact that Garnett never had coaching that took defense seriously (hey to Flip).

But I think that in the final analysis, the NBA is still the big man's game, and The Ultimate Long Three << The Ulimate 4-5 when it comes to building a squad.

[icem]

Garnet is much more similar to TD than many here would like to admit. He just hasn't had good enough players around him.
But still, this team is 1 injury away from lottery, which i think will happen. They are just putting to much on the line and it could backfire. They basicly got 3 stars and no bench. I say they will be .500 team.


uhhh couldnt you say the same thing about phoenix if nash is hurt ?

[mathbzh]

the difference is that tim duncan is tim duncan and kevin garnett is kevin garnett. one is a winner and the other a loser. that's all.

ps: it would be nice to see both in the finals this coming yr.

If Garnett had played with the Spurs instead of Duncan he would probably have at least one ring. Maybe not 4, but at least one.
With the Wolves,Duncan would have made multiple playoff runs... and would have 0 rings. Duncan > Garnett IMO but not by a wide margin.

[mathbzh]

uhhh couldnt you say the same thing about phoenix if nash is hurt ?
Obviously... but they could deal with Amare or Marion hurt (they proved it in 2005-2006). With one of the 3 out Boston is dead (unless a player improve as much as diaw in 2005-2006).

[Oh, Gee!!]

I guess Phoenix is the big loser this off-season

[mathbzh]

Obviously... but they could deal with Amare or Marion hurt (they proved it in 2005-2006). With one of the 3 out Boston is dead (unless a player improve as much as diaw in 2005-2006).
And about Nash... were would we go without Duncan? Not easy to play without your cornerstone player.

[saporvida]

Obviously... but they could deal with Amare or Marion hurt (they proved it in 2005-2006). With one of the 3 out Boston is dead (unless a player improve as much as diaw in 2005-2006).

they couldnt deal with shit... atleast not in the post season and not against the spurs!

[mathbzh]

they couldnt deal with shit... atleast not in the post season and not against the spurs!
We were talking about being one injury away from lottery team

[mardigan]

I guess Phoenix is the big loser this off-season
We'll see what Grant Hill has to say about that :lol

[saporvida]

We were talking about being one injury away from lottery team

ah i see. thanks for clarifying that up for me bro. sometimes i just run through threads... been reading this thread fully for the most part but i guess i didnt pickup on that little tidbit.

[mathbzh]

ah i see. thanks for clarifying that up for me bro. sometimes i just run through threads... been reading this thread fully for the most part but i guess i didnt pickup on that little tidbit.
You are welcome :dramaquee

[FromWayDowntown]

he going to wear number 5?

Unless he makes a deal with Bill Sharman, he's going to have to find a new number.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Unless he makes a deal with Bill Sharman, he's going to have to find a new number.
http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/47409/20070731/garnett_to_wear_#5_for_boston/

[Texas_Ranger]

Allen, Garnett, Pierce in the same team. This is not going to work.

[eisfeld]

Celtics Acquire 10-Time All-Star Kevin Garnett
Related Links
Garnett Pierce and Allen

* KG Deal Puts Celtics in Championship Hunt
* Kevin Garnett - Photo Gallery
* Ticket Information

Merchandise
Kevin Garnett Jersey

BOSTON - The Boston Celtics announced today that they have acquired 10-time All-Star and 2004 MVP Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff, Sebastian Telfair, a 2009 first round draft pick (top three protected) and a return of Minnesota's conditional first round draft pick previously obtained in the Ricky Davis-Wally Szczerbiak trade. Minnesota also receives cash considerations in the deal.

"Kevin Garnett is a great player in our league, with a fierce and competitive spirit, who brings offensive scoring prowess and a defensive presence to our team," Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge said. "The players we're trading to Minnesota have bright futures in the NBA and we wish them well."

The 12-year pro is one of just five players in NBA history to amass at least 19,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists joining Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. The 6'11" 253lb forward led the NBA in rebounding for the fourth consecutive season this past year and is just the fourth player in NBA history to do so. He joins Chamberlain, Moses Malone and Dennis Rodman as the only players to accomplish that feat. Garnett has been named to the All-NBA First Team three times (2000, 2003, 2004), the All-NBA Second Team three times (2001, 2002, 2005) and the All-NBA Third Team twice (1999, 2007). Garnett has also been named to the All-NBA Defensive First and Second Teams eight times. His NBA efficiency score of 29.2 was the highest rated of all NBA players in the 2006-2007 season.

"While it's difficult to part ways with the young players we've worked hard to develop, Kevin has been the consummate professional player in the NBA and a player who I have marveled at over the years," Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers said. "Kevin leaves everything he has out on the floor every game. He has drive, passion and a hunger to win that is unmatched across the league."

The product of Farragut Academy High School in Illinois became the first player in more than 20 years to be drafted directly out of high school in 1995 when he was taken fifth overall by Minnesota. He currently has the longest active streak for scoring in double-figures with 398 straight games that dates back to the beginning of the 2002-03 season. That streak of 398 games is good for eighth best in NBA history. Garnett currently ranks 41st in scoring in League history, as well as 27th in rebounds.

"I am excited to become a Celtic," Garnett said. "It's wonderful to have the opportunity to play with players the quality of Paul (Pierce) and Ray (Allen). The Celtics have had a proud tradition and now I hope that we can add to the legacy."

"As owners we are delighted to have a core of three All Star talents to anchor our team," co-owner Wyc Grousbeck remarked. "Speaking for my partners, while we will miss the valuable players we have traded, we have assembled a group of veteran players who demonstrate Celtic Pride on the court and in the community and who will work hard to deliver a championship contender to the fans of New England."

The 2006 recipient of the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship award, Garnett has career averages of 20.4 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. He has recorded 19 triple-doubles in his career along with eight games of 30 point-20 rebound performances to go along with 30 games of 20 point-20 rebound performances. Garnett has been named NBA Player of the Month nine times and Player of the Week 15 times.
If posted before, I apologize!

[jmard5]

If Garnett had played with the Spurs instead of Duncan he would probably have at least one ring. Maybe not 4, but at least one.
With the Wolves,Duncan would have made multiple playoff runs... and would have 0 rings. Duncan > Garnett IMO but not by a wide margin.

I don't know if the current Spurs roster is suited to Garnett's type of play. This is also with Duncan on the Wolves' roster.

[ShoogarBear]

Allen, Garnett, Pierce in the same team. This is not going to work.It'll be fun. At least there will be something interesting to watch in the East.

OTOH, get ready for ESPN to broadcast the Celtics almost as much as they broadcast the Red Sox. Between Boston and LeBron, we may never see the Western Conference on that channel again.

[Spurs Brazil]

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070731/capt.6f293bd2649b4c2aaae709f1e5b26400.celtics_garn ett_basketball_mack103.jpg

[NBA Junkie]

Never underestimate the power of expiring contracts. That's what enabled the Celts the luxury of getting two high priced stars in Allen and Garnett.

I'd like the Celts chances of getting to the finals if they had someone other than Rivers coaching this team.

[Nikos]

If this team stays healthy they have a good chance at the title. I mean look at that freaking offensive firepower -- I wouldn't be surprised if they are the best team in the league on that end, while also being a very good defensive team (cause of Garnett).

I expect Boston to be as good as anybody, possibly even the best team in the league. Talent wise, they do have the best big three (yes even better than the Spurs and Suns).

[Darkwaters]

Never underestimate the power of expiring contracts. That's what enabled the Celts the luxury of getting two high priced stars in Allen and Garnett.

I'd like the Celts chances of getting to the finals if they had someone other than Rivers coaching this team.

They didn't give up any expiring contracts to get Allen if I remember right. The key piece to that trade was the #5 overall draft pick.

[jdaveah]

Why did Pierce need a jersey for this press conference? Did anybody forget what it looks like?

[RON ARTEST]

We'll see what Grant Hill has to say about that :lol
Will that be before or after he's in the hospital for some leg injury again?

[RON ARTEST]

Allen, Garnett, Pierce in the same team. This is not going to work.
All of them have been on horrible teams their whole carrer for the most part and KG and Allen are unselfish players, Why the hel wouldnt it work? All three of them will be more then willing to make sacrifices when the season begins IMO.

[TDMVPDPOY]

All of them have been on horrible teams their whole carrer for the most part and KG and Allen are unselfish players, Why the hel wouldnt it work? All three of them will be more then willing to make sacrifices when the season begins IMO.

kg 40m remainin wheres the sacrifice? how about when he restructure his c ontract he was still earnin like 1/3 of the wolves payroll cap

[Texas_Ranger]

Those 3 guys are superstars. And when you have 3 players that averaged: Allen 26,4, Pierce 25 & Garnett 22,4 points per game, that's a little problem.
If they will play like a team, and they will not care about the stats, they can be one of the best teams in the NBA, but I still think they will want to have great stats on the end of the game.

[sabar]

Wait wait

Did the eastern conference just get stronger?

[NBA Junkie]

They didn't give up any expiring contracts to get Allen if I remember right. The key piece to that trade was the #5 overall draft pick.

Technically, no, since Wally Szczerbiak's contract doesn't expire until after the 2008-09 season. It may as well be expiring since Szczerbiak is injury riddled and won't play a prominent role with the Sonics since Durant and Green will get all the minutes at the 2 and the 3.

Of course the #5 pick was the key to the deal as was Jefferson in the Garnett deal. That's not the point. The respective deals would have never been possible unless the Celtics had large disposable contracts, which luckily for them they did.

[Testing]

:lol Doc Rivers will mess it up...u just watch!

[Testing]

My guess is NJ is going to regret re-signing Carter....with Boston now in the playoff's, I doubt they'll also make it seeing as how they're in the same soft conference....

At least this made someone legit in the atlantic conference, that's the worst conference in the entire league!

[Dario]

Well Boston is basicly in a win win situation. They had terrible teams for years now and nobody would talk about them or even watch them, now even if they don't win shit they got the attention and the hype around them.

[ancestron]

Allen+Pierce+Garnett=scary

[ArgSpursFan]

Allen+Pierce+Garnett=scary

you forgot Doc River in that Equation bud.

Now:Allen+Pierce+Garnet+(-Doc Rivers)=not that scary

[callo1]

I'm glad KG is out of Minny.

For years T-Wolves fans have said that the only reason he didn't win a ring was because he didn't have the supporting cast around him. They reasoned that Timmy did and thats why Tim had the rings. I have always believed that Tim and KG were entirely different players in that Tim is SO much better at making his teamates better.

We will finally get to see what kind of player KG is with a "supporting cast" around him that is of the Allstar variety.

Validation and verification are on the way.

[Ginobilly]

^^^
Of Course Tim is better at making his teammates better. He's a traditional back to the basket player and commands so much attention in the post that he doesn't really need superior athletic scoring 2 guards 3's to be successful. That's why the spurs have won championships with low draft picks journey men. They make their 3's we are going to win the championship, they don't they don't. Kg like Kobe need better talented players to be successful. Put Tim in the Lakers or Tpups and I bet his teams will do more damage in the Western Conference playoffs than with Kobe or Garnett. i don't know if he will win the championship with either team but I could guarantee he will at least take them to 2nd or western conference finals and duke it out with Phoenix or Dallas. Could Kobe or Garnett do that?

[ambchang]

So Allen needs the ball to be effective, and plays little defense. Pierce dominates the ball, and plays little defense. Garnett doesn't score inside, so Boston's inside scoring got worse (although interior defense got leaps and bounds better). They still do not have a PG, they still do not have any semblance of perimeter defense, they still do not have decent coaching.
Frankly, I would be surprised if Boston comes out of the 2nd round, even in the East.

EDIT: I forgot to mention their bench.
EDIT 2: You can't put 3 superstars on the same team, and expect them to average the same amount of points they did the previous season. I would expect Garnett to average a career low next year.

[ducks]

So Allen needs the ball to be effective, and plays little defense. Pierce dominates the ball, and plays little defense. Garnett doesn't score inside, so Boston's inside scoring got worse (although interior defense got leaps and bounds better). They still do not have a PG, they still do not have any semblance of perimeter defense, they still do not have decent coaching.
Frankly, I would be surprised if Boston comes out of the 2nd round, even in the East.
boston scoring got worse
wtf

[ambchang]

boston scoring got worse
wtf
Interior scoring. Al Jefferson is a better inside scorer than Garnett, not better scorer. Like Corliss Williamson was a better inside scorer than Ray Allen.

[ducks]

ok

watch them land pj brown

[Nikos]

But could you envision a scenario where you switch Duncan for Garnett on any of his teams and they don't even make the playoffs?

I can't.

Now, some of that may have to do with the fact that Garnett never had coaching that took defense seriously (hey to Flip).

But I think that in the final analysis, the NBA is still the big man's game, and The Ultimate Long Three << The Ulimate 4-5 when it comes to building a squad.

I could see Duncan struggling to get his team into the playoffs if he had KG's supporting casts in 2005-07, yes. Who knows if he would get them there? KG has lead some mediocre supporting casts to 50 wins, so technically he is very close to Duncan level, actually he is probably just as good when he has offensive help (due to his versatility).

It will be interesting to see. And in all honesty in 2003-04 Garnett was definitely playing at a Duncan like level on both ends. Tim has probably had more dominant years factoring both ends and of course success in the playoffs -- but Garnett could easily be considered a top 3 player when healthy and having support. Garnett plays both ends, and is the best passing big in the league. Garnett's only weakness is that he is not a Top 10 scorer. But if you factor his passing, and his defense -- he is clearly a franchise type player. He doesn't really have any true weaknesses, and is excellent at almost everything. What more can you ask of him? He is not a Wade or Kobe type scorer. Duncan is not that much better of a scorer either.

[Nikos]

So Allen needs the ball to be effective, and plays little defense. Pierce dominates the ball, and plays little defense. Garnett doesn't score inside, so Boston's inside scoring got worse (although interior defense got leaps and bounds better). They still do not have a PG, they still do not have any semblance of perimeter defense, they still do not have decent coaching.
Frankly, I would be surprised if Boston comes out of the 2nd round, even in the East.

EDIT: I forgot to mention their bench.
EDIT 2: You can't put 3 superstars on the same team, and expect them to average the same amount of points they did the previous season. I would expect Garnett to average a career low next year.

I expect them to take less shots, but be more efficient. Kind of like Parker and Ginobili. Put them on a crappy team, they might score more, but will probably be less efficient. And with Garnett on defense, and his passing he will make things easier for them on both ends. No more Pierce having to score 40 for the team to win in the playoffs -- ditto for Ray Allen. They will have more energy on both ends in crunch time due to their collective talent.

They should be a Top 5 team easy, even with a weak bench and even if the chemistry isn't near perfect.

[Avitus1]

This is just shocking as hell to me. At least he finally got traded I got tired of hearing about everyone trying to get him.

[possessed]

lol @ Laker fans

[The_Game]

Interior scoring. Al Jefferson is a better inside scorer than Garnett, not better scorer. Like Corliss Williamson was a better inside scorer than Ray Allen.

LMAO

NO HE IS NOT. KG shoots jumpers but has far more post moves inside hense why he is so tough to stop. To say Jefferson is a better inside scorer is idiotic.

[ambchang]

LMAO

NO HE IS NOT. KG shoots jumpers but has far more post moves inside hense why he is so tough to stop. To say Jefferson is a better inside scorer is idiotic.

In case you haven't been watching basketball for the last 12 years. Garnett is known for not having moves in the post, thus not being a strong enough threat to carry his team offensively in the post season.
Jefferson shot 51.4% from the field last season, with 4.3 FTA on 12.3 FGA (that's .35 FTA/FGA) and 3.4 ORB a game, while Garnett shot 47.6%, with 6.6 FTA on 17.6 FGA (that's .375 FTA/FGA, not that much different from Jefferson, despite being a MUCH bigger star and center of the Wolves' offense) and 2.4 ORB a game, and that is not taking into account Garnett plays almost 6 more minutes. I suppose Jefferson got all those offensive rebounds, high % shots and FT shots by being a crappier inside scorer.
Want more proof? 77% of Garnett's shots were jump shots, 17% from close range, and the remaining on dunks and tips. That translates to 77% from outside and 23% inside. His inside shots were made at 55.5%
Jefferson had 41% of his shots on the outside, 48% on close rank, and the remaining 11% on dunks and tips. That means that 59% of his shots were inside shots. His inside shots had an accuracy of 57.8%.
In terms of moves, the only consistent move Garnett has on the low blocks is a turnaround jumper (either shot of hook) spinning to his left. Jefferson can do that, as well as turn the other way, has a nice drop step, good turnaround, his footwork in the post is polished and made Jefferson such a sort after commodity.
If you haven't watched either player play, at least look up the damn numbers before acting like a smart ass.

[SequSpur]

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