<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Sources: Celtics close to deal for Garnett Jeff Goodman The on-again, off-again deal with the Boston Celtics acquiring Kevin Garnett apparently is back on. According to sources, the current deal on the table has the 6-foot-11 Garnett heading to Boston and the Celtics dealing away Al Jefferson, Theo Ratliff's hefty expiring contract and Rajon Rondo. There may also be other players and draft picks involved. It's not quite done, but three industry sources ? including one close to the Celtics ? told FOXSports.com that it's extremely close and could become official within the next 48 hours. "It's basically done," one source said. "If it does happen, this will make the Celtics relevant again." Celtics boss Danny Ainge attempted to trade for the Minnesota Timberwolves star forward prior to the NBA Draft, but the 31-year-old perennial All-Star had no interest in heading to Boston. However, things may have changed now that Ainge and the Celtics pulled off the draft day deal with Seattle for Ray Allen. There have been numerous discussions during the last week between Ainge and Wolves vice president Kevin McHale, who are good friends dating back to their days playing together on the Celtics. Garnett has the option to get out of his contract ? which pays $22 million next season ? after the 2008 campaign and become a free agent. He averaged 22.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game last season ? his 12th in the NBA. Garnett is a 10-time NBA All-Star and was the league's MVP in 2004. He is also one of the better defensive players in the NBA. The deal would give Ainge a team that could compete with anyone in the Eastern Conference with the trio of Paul Pierce, Garnett and Allen. The Celtics would also have nearly $60 million in salaries between the three players for next season alone. The Wolves would get one of the league's top young players in the 22-year-old Jefferson, who averaged 16 points and 11 boards in 69 games a year ago, and a second-year point guard in Rondo with plenty of potential. They would also get Ratliff's $11.7 million salary, which will come off the books after this season.</div> Source: Fox Sports
PG- Sebastian Telfair SG- Ray Allen SF- Paul Pierce PF- Ryan Gomes C- Kevin Garnett That would be a pretty tough team to beat, they would still need to upgrade the point guard spot, and add some depth, but they have a solids eight man rotation, even if they end the off-season with this move alone.
I'd ask for Gerald Green instead of Rondo. The T'Wolves already have Foye. And Blur, I think their starting 5 would be more along the lines of this: PG - Telfair SG - Allen SF - Pierce PF - Garnett C - Perkins Imagine if the Celtics manage to sign Brevin Knight as well? Haha, just dreaming at this point, but imagine if they got Knight AND Webber?
Pierce, Allen, and KG on the same team. This team will be contenders for sure. Is this source reliable at all, or just another fake rumor?
This could go one of two ways. 1. A team of All-Stars cannot co-exist. Think of it this way. Kevin Garnett, A star on his team, got the ball 90-100% of the time. Ray Allen, A star on his team, got the ball 70-80% of the time. Paul Peirce, before injury got the ball 70-85% of the time. These three players could become mad all-stars because they will want the ball. And they ain't playing with Jason Kidd or Steve Nash here, it is some young PG's who could crack under pressure from the All-Star vets. 2. It is great. Celtics win 45-55 games, make the finals win even. I doubt it though.
The thing is, all three of these superstars can play within a system and don't have big egos. Garnett was even criticized for not demanding the ball enough in Minnesota. If this does happen, its a major deal that automatically pushes the Celtics into contention. They would need a better distributor to make the transition easier, though.
<div class="quote_poster">Chutney Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">The thing is, all three of these superstars can play within a system and don't have big egos. Garnett was even criticized for not demanding the ball enough in Minnesota. If this does happen, its a major deal that automatically pushes the Celtics into contention. They would need a better distributor to make the transition easier, though.</div> Those are exactly my thoughts. When I first read this, I'll admit, I thought "03 Mav's all over again," but Garnett isn't exactly Antoine Walker. The guy's not only one of the three or four best players in the game, but his heart is enormous. My only concern is their lack of a point guard. Who starts, Tony Allen? As for Telfair... “Believe me, he’s not going to wear green again,” said a team source who requested anonymity. http://justbball.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69802 What happened to that? Have things been patched up, or is he still not welcomed back? Maybe Troy Hudson will come over in the deal, because Minnesota has been trying to buy him out of his contract anyway. I guess the salaries wouldn't work out unless the Celtics were willing to give up Perkins, Allen, and Green in return, and that's just way too much talent to give up in pursuit of a pure point guard. By the way, this proposed deal would need Telfair, Perkins, or Scalabrine added on Minnesota's side anyway to work cap-wise. I'm thinking it'd be Telfair, all things considered, but if I were Minnesota, I'd demand Perkins. PG - Sebastian Telfair (?) / Gabe Pruitt SG - Ray Allen / Tony Allen SF - Paul Pierce / Gerald Green PF - Ryan Gomes / Brian Scalabrine / Glen Davis / Brandon Wallace C - Kevin Garnett / Kendrick Perkins / Leon Powe ^^^ That's only 13 players, and it'd be brought down to 12 when you throw either Telfair, Perkins, or Scalabrine into the deal. They still have the full MLE left too, so that means they can go out and sign both Knight and Webber. I'm not saying either wants to play in Boston, but the money and roster spaces are there for the moves at least.
Weird.. others have Telfair involved in the trade instead of Rando... Well either way, you guys are forgetting that Pierce has played with Walker who is a ballhog and a chucker. Ray Allen has played with Sam Cassell and Glenn Robinson in their prime who has big egos. KG is a team player period.
I don't think there will be any problem in sharing shots, these guys are unselfish and each bring different skills to the floor with respect to where and how they score. How reliable are the sources that claim that the deal is basically done? T-Hud would be ok at point is it possible to get Brevin Knight I know if I were Brevin I wouldn't care about the money to run the floor and play with those three would be a dream!
There have been tons of KG to [insert team] rumors. What differentiates this from those previous rumors?
The thing that makes me think that this one will happen is the language that they use in the article - <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It's not quite done, but three industry sources — including one close to the Celtics — told FOXSports.com that it's extremely close and could become official within the next 48 hours. "It's basically done," one source said. "If it does happen, this will make the Celtics relevant again."</div> ESPN.com used less certain language, but they still sounded like it would happen - <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The deal depends on Garnett backing off his well-chronicled unwillingness to play in Boston. Yet sources indicated late Sunday that Garnett was warming to the idea, raising hopes on both sides that the deal will finally go through.</div> http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2954127
They supposedly have some sources saying it's really close to going down. EDIT: Nevermind, Voodoo posted the articles.
This trade was always on the verge of being completed, but the hangup was surrounding KG's reluctance to go to Boston. Apparently he's changed his mind (maybe because of the Ray Allen trade, who knows?).
Kobe will probably demand another trade soon. You guys should target him since the Celtics will obviously be a team on Kobe's wish list. pg: Kobe Bryant sg: Ray Allen sf: Paul Pierce pf: Ryan Gomes c: Kevin Garnett Or you guys can sign Kobe when he opts out in 09 (this is if the trade goes through, of course)
<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">The only positive, Leon Powe is going to likely win a Championship ring.</div> I was waiting for you to say that I think they should start Leon Powe at PF, him and KG, the next great duo.
<div class="quote_poster">Master Shake Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I was waiting for you to say that I think they should start Leon Powe at PF, him and KG, the next great duo.</div> I'm actually expecting a huge spike in Leon Powe's playing time as well. I watched him in a few summer league games, and he looked a lot stronger and bulkier than I remember him being at Cal. There was a real concern about his injuries when the draft rolled around this season, but it looks like he's 100%. Doc Rivers was in the announcer's booth commenting on one summer league game, and he was particularly complimentary of Powe. I don't know the exact quote, but I remember him saying that no matter where he coached, he always wanted Powe on his team. He's going to wind up being a huge steal for the Celtics. Come to think of it, they've been great in recent drafts. They got Jefferson at #15, Green at #18, Rondo at #21, West/Allen at #24/25, Powe at #49, Gomes at #50, etc. Impressive.
