http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2919016
Wolves contact Bobcats to reshape Garnett trade talks
By Chad Ford
ESPN.com
Updated: June 28, 2007, 4:45 PM ET
The Minnesota Timberwolves' attempts to trade Kevin Garnett continued Thursday afternoon.
The Wolves have contacted the Charlotte Bobcats to try to help facilitate a deal for Garnett, one day after a potential three-way deal with the Phoenix Suns and the Atlanta Hawks hit a roadblock.
According to sources, the Wolves are asking the Bobcats to give up the No. 8 pick along with an undisclosed player. In the proposed deal, Garnett would go to Phoenix, and the Suns would send Amare Stoudemire to Charlotte. The Bobcats would also be required to take Suns guard Marcus Banks.
The Bobcats have been offering the No. 8 pick to various teams for weeks and have several offers. If they can't get something worked out with Minnesota and Phoenix before the draft, the Bobcats will likely move the pick in another deal, a source said.
However, a source in Phoenix continues to maintain that the team has not had any conversations about trading Stoudemire.
This is just the latest turn in what has been an increasingly bizarre saga of Minnesota superstar Kevin Garnett, who was until recently considered untouchable.
ESPN.com first reported on June 18 that Minnesota GM Kevin McHale was finally listening to trade offers for Garnett and was talking to the Boston Celtics. Shortly after that, Garnett's agent said Garnett would opt out of his contract if he were traded to Boston.
In the last few days, the Lakers got into the picture, trying to work a four-way trade and then a direct deal with the Wolves for Garnett.
When that fell through, Minnesota began looking to acquire Atlanta's No. 3 and No. 11 picks in Thursday's draft along with several cap-friendly contracts from the Hawks and Phoenix Suns. To participate, Atlanta wanted Amare Stoudemire from Phoenix.
On Wednesday, sources say one of the Hawks owners vetoed a hypothetical deal for Stoudemire for financial reasons.
However, late Wednesday night the Wolves were trying to resurrect the deal in a way that would overcome the objections. The sticking point has been a trade kicker in Garnett's contract. The Wolves were talking to a fourth team that could help alleviate the financial burden on Atlanta and Phoenix.
"All I can tell you is we're talking to a lot of people," Hawks general manager Billy Knight said Wednesday afternoon, according to the Atlanta Journal-Cons ution. "I can't say that anything is imminent or even likely to take place. Right now, we have the No. 3 and No. 11 picks and that's all we have.
"We feel good about what we could do if we draft at No. 3 and then again at No. 11. But we are talking ... we're talking about a lot of different things, and we're going to continue to do so up until the draft begins."
The Suns claim to have never had any direct contact with the Hawks about a deal. While they have shown strong interest in acquiring Garnett, the deal never reached a stage where they were asked by either team to give up Stoudemire and never offered him in a trade.
While teams like the Lakers and Suns will continue to pursue Garnett, and the Wolves seem intent on trading him, sources say that it's unlikely, but not impossible, that a deal goes down by the time of the draft.
The latest drama in the Garnett saga shows some of the perils of dealing with the Hawks -- arguably the most dysfunctional franchise in the league.
The Hawks ownership group, Atlanta Spirit LLC, is embroiled in a nasty lawsuit with former partner Steve Belkin. Belkin won a lawsuit against Atlanta Spirit LLC last summer and a judge ruled that he could buy out the owners of Atlanta Spirit and gain full ownership of the team. Atlanta Spirit is currently appealing the ruling.
In the meantime, Belkin holds some authority over the team. He can veto any trade or free agent signing that takes the team above the NBA salary cap. Several sources suggested that it was Belkin who vetoed the trade.
This fiasco isn't the only situation the Hawks are dealing with. Sources said that Knight is in a dispute with some of the Hawks owners over who to take at No. 3. Knight prefers Florida's Al Horford. Some in the Hawks ownership, including influential owner Michael Gearon Jr., want to draft Yi Jianlian out of China.
Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.
Hillarious. One thing I want to know though, is Minnesota that desperate in trying to unload Garnett? Or is Phx that desperate to get him. If it's the latter they had better wake up and realize that they more than likely would have to get rid of Amare for that. And to get rid of Amare for an aging Garnett is stupid imo.
Amare to Charlotte?
i heard chad ford on the radio about this earlier. given it was on mike and mike, but he said the twolves are contacting everyone, then getting back to phoenix.
, i got a call.
The Suns never even talked to Atlanta. Minnesota is trying to make a deal that isn't even on the table happen. They need to STFU already.
Latest news: I'm sending my 1997 Nissan Sentra, signed Charles Barkley poster, copy of Joe Smith's contract, and some sleeping medication to Kevin McHale for KG and some cash.
How do you think Hawks fans feel right now? they almost had amare, now they might get Yi? Sad sad times for the ATL
This is all the Spurs' fault. They produced such a ty finals ESPN is going over the top to dry and draw buzz about the draft...so they're including the Suns and Garnett (two very popular subjects) in every rumor.
The Spurs brand of boring basketball is truly ruining the league.
so much so the NBA got $150 million more for their new TV deal.
suns = scrambling
ATLANTA (AP) -- Rumors continue to surface about the Atlanta Hawks involvement in a deal to facilitate the trade of Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett.
Even with an unstable ownership making decisions, Hawks GM Billy Hunter says the team will find a way to make their team a playoff contender.
"We had a deal to get Amare if we sent the 3rd and 11th pick to Minnesota, but we decided we didn't want somebody who would ruin our chances at an Eastern Conference le by not following a league-wide rule," Hunter said.
Hunter continued to say the Hawks would indeed select Chinaman Yi Jianlian and attempt to up the point guard position by selecting a second center with the 11th pick.
Yet you spend your spare time on a Spurs message board talking about them.
Gosh, it's like Amare is an internet stock they're trying to unload as fast as they can
there are to things for sure,in this 3 ways KG trade.
Minnesota dont want his ass around no more,and The suns are desperate to get him,first It was the Celtics,them the Hawks and now the Bobcats.
If I was S.Kerr i would think twice about it.
You mean KG... Minny keeps coming up with these scenarios and rumors
Marion is also probably more of the internet stock as well but they found no buyers.
According to ESPN.com:
Stat Leaders
Playoff Player Efficiency Rating Among Centers
Amare
Stoudemire
29.73
Tim
Duncan
27.42
Carlos
Boozer
24.27
Duncan has the '07 le, but you can't say that Amare has reached his peak quite yet.
Amare to Charlotte?
Meh, if all Duncan did was worry about offense in that pinball-inspired excuse for an offense that Phoenix runs, his PER would be 40.
Amare is a beast.I wouldn´t get rid of him,not even for an agin KG,no way.
Not really... if Duncan shot a higher FT% and scored only a few more points then he might be at 30, but PER is based on FG%, rebound rate, defensive stats (which Duncan should have a lot of), and assist totals among other things.
Duncan has more APG, RPG, and BPG than Amare, so I think this is simply a testament to how great of a player Amare can become if he improves in certain areas (namely - back to the basket game and defense). This doesn't deny that he gets a good chunk of his scoring and trips to the line off the pick-and-roll from Steve Nash, but we also saw some flashes of his mid-range ability in the Spurs-Suns series.
The Suns aren't looking to trade Amare. What makes you think they're scrambling?
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