The Boston Associated Press reported that the Minnesota Timberwolves have acquired star forward Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics in exchange for forward Al Jefferson, guard Sebastian Telfair, forward Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, center Theo Ratliff (along with his big contract) and two future first round draft picks.
Kevin Garnett had said he would not play for the Celtics, but that was before they made a bold trade on Draft day for star guard Ray Allen, sending Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and rookie Jeff Green to Seattle.
The trade is not officially completed yet, as teams have some specifics concerning contracts to hash out. Yet, according to a league source, the trade is all but finalized.
Despite many questionable moves Danny Ainge, the Celtic's executive director of basketball operations, has made in the past with the Boston Celtics, he is to be commended for his boldness and assertion in attempts to bring a championship ring back to Boston. Garnett will team with star perimeter players Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, as well as youngsters like Rajon Rondo, Tony Allen and Ryan Gomes to form a dangerous affront in the East. On the other hand, trading away as much as he did might have been a pretty steep price for just one player.
The Timberwolves, who coveted up-and-coming forward Al Jefferson, will add Jefferson, Green and Telfair to a lineup that already includes youngsters such as Corey Brewer, Randy Foye and Craig Smith.
The Celtics have won more championships (16) in its franchise history than any other NBA team. Yet, they have only won three playoff series since drafting Paul Pierce nine years ago.
This could be a good move for both teams. The Celtics get a dangerous trio with a top-flight big man and two of the league's best outside shooters. For the first time in a long time, Celtics fan have a reason to be excited. However, they will be crossing their fingers that the star trio can stay healthy, as the Celtics are fairly shallow beyond that. Still, the Celtics look to feature a lineup with Garnett and Paul Pierce at the forward spots, Kendrick Perkins at center and Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo in the backcourt. Coming off the bench would be Tony Allen and Leon Powe.
On the other hand, Minnesota wasn't going anywhere with Garnett and it was time to start thinking of the future. The Wolves get a future All Star post player in Jefferson, a high-end prospect in Green and a soon-to-expire contract player in Theo Ratliff. The Wolves look to feature a lineup with Al Jefferson and Ricky Davis at forward, Mark Blount at center and Randy Foye and Corey Brewer at the guards spots.
Garnett averaged 22.4 points per game last season in 76 games. He added 12.8 rebounds per game and 1.7 blocks per game. Al Jefferson averaged 16.0 points per game in 69 games played. He added 11.0 rebounds per game. Gerald Green averaged 10.4 points per game in 81 games.
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