Warm weather. Championship contenders. A star guard. Jerry Buss. Life in the city of angels sounds mighty nice to Kevin Garnett. The much talked-about blockbuster trade between the Lakers and T'wolves involving the NBA's best power forward has become all but a reality. "I can confirm that all the parties have agreed to the deal," Garnetts agent, Andy Miller, told the El Segundo Post in a telephone interview tuesday night. "It's all pending [league] approval, but I can say everything has been agreed to." Also, the Los Angeles Times, citing team and league sources, reported on its Web site Monday night that the Lakers have agreed in principle to the deal. And that the deal will be confirmed later in July. As first reported by ESPN's David Aldridge on Monday, Garnett had agreed to accept a proposed trade that would send him to Los Angeles in exchange for forward Devean George, forwards Lamar Odom and Brian Grant. The deal cannot be completed until July, when a two-week leaguewide moratorium on trades and free agent signings expires. "It still can't officially be done, of course, but I can tell you we're confident that this will be successfull,'' Agent Andy Miller told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday. "We're excited about the prospects. We're confident that Garnett will be moving to Los Angeles soon." Realistically, the Wolves have been left with only this proposal from the Lakers, as there are no other prospective deals on which Garnett has signed off. Miller said the Lakers had not discussed a new contract with Garnett. Insider's Chad Ford wonders why the Lakers would be willing to short-circuit a solid rebuilding project for a short-term run with Garnett. Ford: Is Shaq worth it? "No extension was agreed upon. That was never a condition for KG," Miller told The Associated Press. "He wanted to go to an environment that was a team environment and a championship contender. We feel confident that that's what Jerry Buss and the Lakers organization have created as a culture. This is the type of place that Garnett would love to finish his career.'' Los Angeles is the only city that Garnett had told the Lakers would be acceptable to him. Despite Garnett's smiling denial to AP on Monday afternoon that he had met with Lakers Vice President Jeanie Buss, sources told Aldridge that Garnett apparently agreed to accept the trade after spending part of Monday morning in Los Angeles meeting with Jeanie Buss and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. Jerry was also notified in a telephone interview that morning. Apparently, Jeanie, mitch and garnett representatives met for three hours. Garnett was not present for the entire meeting, but hit it off immediately with mitch kupchak. "He feels this is the environment he wants," a source who was at the meeting said of Garnett. Jeanie "was really good about understanding what Garnett wanted to accomplish," the source said. "She was a great listener." "That was critical for us," Andy Miller told the AP about discussions with Wolves management about the team's culture. "This was always about Garnett getting to a city that had a team-based culture and not of a specific player. And, two, was determined to win -- and, three, was a city that he loved. That leaves a short list [of teams], so we're ecstatic." According to Aldridge's source, Garnett is very excited about the prospect of playing with ninth-year guard Kobe Bryant, who he feels is the best basketball player in the world. Although shaq would have something to say about it. "You don't have to go back too far to see a guard and a big man able to do some damage, even with role players surrounding them," the source said, referring to Shaq's years in the league with Lakers, when he and Kobe Bryant helped lead the Lakers to three championships. Miller insisted that the All-Star is demanding that the lakers who let go Phil Jackson last summer to resign him and return to the sidelines as part of the deal. "Phil is the greatest coach ever," Miller told the AP on Sunday. "He had 9 great years. It's not even a consideration that Phil wouldn't be the coach." Last season, Garnett averaged 22.2 points with 13.50 rebounds and 2.48 blocks. Over 10 seasons, he has averaged 20.2 points, 11.10 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Garnett will remain in Minnesota until the deal is finalized.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">As first reported by ESPN's David Aldridge on Monday, Garnett had agreed to accept a proposed trade that would send him to Los Angeles in exchange for forward Devean George, forwards Lamar Odom and Brian Grant.</div>Are the Wolves dumb enough to do this to their team? If they are........wow.
