Jul 31, 2007 8:05 pm US/Central
The Deal Is Done: KG Announced As Newest Celtic
Minneapolis (WCCO) ―
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Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were introduced as the newest Boston Celtics.
CBS
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Getty Images/Jed Jacobsohn
The Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday traded forward Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics for five players and two draft picks.
Boston will send forward Al Jefferson, forward Gerald Green, forward Ryan Gomes, guard Sebastian Telfair and center Theo Ratliff to the Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves will also get Boston's 2009 first-round draft pick as well as the first-round draft pick Minnesota gave to Boston in a January 2006 trade.
The Timberwolves said Tuesday they were building for the future.
"Through this trade, we have obtained very talented, young players with a lot of potential, future flexibility with the salary cap and two future first-round NBA draft picks," Taylor said. "This will not be an overnight fix, but it is a big stop in renewing our commitment to build an exciting franchise for our fans."
A preps-to-the-pros pioneer, Garnett's immediate impact after being selected fifth overall in 1995 by the Timberwolves paved a path for dozens and dozens of other teenagers to skip college and declare for the draft -- most of whom enjoyed far less success.
Then in October 1997, Garnett's contract changed the game -- a six-year, $126 million extension that led to significant alterations to the league's collective bargaining agreement emerging from a 1999 lockout.
Garnett forever changed the franchise in Minnesota, too. The year before he was drafted, the Wolves set an NBA mark for futility with their fourth straight 60-loss season. In just his second season, he helped lead Minnesota to its first playoff appearance -- the first of eight straight.
The last of those was the best, when the "Big Ticket" was at his peak. He won the league's MVP award and led the Wolves within two wins of the NBA finals in 2004. Garnett averaged 24.2 points and a league-high 13.9 rebounds that season, joining Larry Bird as the only players to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for five consecutive years.
But those idyllic days quickly ended for the Wolves, who have fired two coaches and not made the playoffs since then. Part of their problem has been Garnett's huge salary, but vice president Kevin McHale has also missed on several moves. Though he never requested a trade or said he was unhappy in Minnesota, Garnett expressed frustration with some of McHale's decisions and challenged McHale to upgrade the roster.
Jefferson, 22, averaged 16 points per game and 11 rebounds per game in 69 games with the Celtics last season. He was the 15th overall pick in the 2004 draft.
Green, 21, was drafted 18th overall right out of high school in the 2005 draft. Last season, he averaged 10.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in 81 games.
Gomes was a second-round pick in 2005 and was drafted from Providence College. Last season with the Celtics, Gomes averaged 12.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 73 games.
Telfair was the 13th overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2004 draft. With the Celtics last year, Telfair averaged 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 78 games.
Ratliff is a 12-year NBA veteran. He was injured last season and played in two games for the Celtics.
The Timberwolves will introduce the new players at a press conference Wednesday night. Owner Glen Taylor and vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale will also be at the press conference.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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