Three-team deal with Garnett, Stoudemire cools
By Chad Ford
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: June 28, 2007, 2:21 AM ET
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The Minnesota Timberwolves' attempts to get a great deal for Kevin Garnett hit a major roadblock on Wednesday afternoon, sources told ESPN.com.
According to multiple sources, the Timberwolves have been talking to multiple teams about finding a third team to help facilitate a Garnett trade.
As ESPN.com reported on Tuesday evening, Minnesota was 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 fourth teams 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 KG 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.
Right. I really hope the Suns believe this, that it was just luck and nothing else that kept them from beating the Spurs.
I don't know why Suns fans are so intent on keeping Amare, he's having knee surgery again, right?
He's damaged goods. Get KG now and have a chance before Nash retires, or it's all downhill from here.
I've never heard anywhere that Amare is having surgery? Maybe I never looked, but I've been all over everything regarding the Suns the past few weeks and haven't seen anything of the sorts.
As for the Suns and Amare, they are opposed to trading him. They just won't trade him and get worse, which is what the above deal does. The most recent package had the Suns trading Amare, Thomas, Jones, #24, 2008 Atl 1st for Garnett alone. That's WAY too much.
Of course, that scnerio came out of Atlanta.
Phoenix claims, and I've been able to confirm, that they were never involved in this deal. They never held talks regarding trading Amare. While they won't say he's untouchable, in this package, they aren't moving him for Garnett alone. They'd need a high lottery pick as well as being able to keep all their own.
Huh, my bad. Rumors around the office, I guess.
Leandro Barbosa did have elbow surgery shortly after the playoffs ended, maybe that's what you were thinking of.
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