http://www.startribune.com/150/story/512639.html Jim Souhan: It's time to trade Garnett The Wolves need to start over, and dealing their star would be a good move for both player and team. Jim Souhan, Star Tribune Last update: June 25, 2006 – 7:22 AM He's a tall, lanky power forward whose passionate play made him a Minnesota icon, and he became one of the NBA's most dominant players in his prime. So it's sad to say that it's time for Kevin to go, especially because the Kevin in question now bears the surname "Garnett." Last season, Kevin Garnett maintained a statistical profile of all-around excellence even while the Timberwolves imploded. That is a good reason to admire him. That is a better reason to trade him. A flawed, poorly run team could not contend last season when one of the NBA's supposedly elite players was healthy and productive. Now virtually the same management team and virtually the same coaching staff will try to win with virtually the same roster, with two exceptions: 1. Garnett will be a year older, at 30, having averaged 39 high-energy minutes per game. 2. Rashad McCants, the developing player with the best chance of improving the Wolves, is out indefinitely after undergoing microfracture knee surgery, a frightening injury for a player who relies on explosiveness. This leaves the Wolves with two choices: 1. Make a desperate move, trading for a problematic player like Stephon Marbury, to pair Garnett with someone who could make the Wolves contenders. 2. Start over. Admit that such a desperate move probably would fail, and that if it succeeded it would not get the Wolves much more than a first-round playoff loss. Admit that Garnett's career has been wasted on a franchise that mismanaged talent, blew draft picks and cheated blatantly on the Joe Smith signing. Admit that even with Garnett healthy and at his best, the 2006-07 Wolves will not be an attractive draw to fans disgusted by the current regime's mistakes. Admit that having Garnett healthy will keep the Wolves competitive enough that the odds will be against earning a transformative draft choice. Admit that Garnett's trade value will only decrease if he continues to log major minutes for bad teams, wearing down his knees and patience. As painful as it might be to accept, starting over is the way to go. Keep Garnett, and what you'll have is another lost season to go with a lost opportunity to overhaul a franchise in need of a fresh start. Garnett is the Wolves' only healthy, valuable asset worth more than a light rail token. Not only must he be traded, but he must be traded in one of those subtle, fan-angering moves that isn't fully appreciated for years. Garnett is of best use to the only franchise for which he has played if he becomes the Wolves' Chuck Knoblauch, A.J. Pierzynski or Herschel Walker. Remember, Twins fans thought their franchise was giving up when Terry Ryan made his deals. The Knoblauch deals built the foundation of three straight division championships. The Pierzynski deal brought Joe Nathan, Francisco Liriano and Boof Bonser. Herschel Walker ... well, you probably remember that one, too. The Wolves need to trade for young, affordable talent and quality draft picks, and then display the kind of patience that has been void in the organization. Which leads us to the most legitimate concern about trading Garnett: that the current brain trust might not be capable of making the right deal, or the right kind of deal. Kevin McHale seems to believe his roster is a few tweaks away from the playoffs. Owner Glen Taylor has refused to fire McHale, an indication that Taylor thinks everything is running smoothly. Virtually everyone who doesn't draw a paycheck from Taylor knows the franchise is almost beyond repair. What is wrong with the Wolves, Garnett can't fix alone, and that's his only option if he stays. So it's time to trade Garnett, not for his sake, but because trading him is the only way a wayward franchise can start over with a workable plan and realistic expectations. Jim Souhan can be heard Sundays from 10 a.m.-noon on KSTP AM 1500. jsouhan@startribune.com
They probably should trade Garnett. If they can pick up some pieces this year, and tank the season, then they could possibly win the lottery and pick up Oden. Then they've instantly rebuilt their team with a younger cheaper franchise player. And even if they don't land oden, next year's draft is supposed to be very strong at the top, so they might be able to get a new face of the franchise after one bad season.
If I were Garnett I would want some sort of trade -- time to shake up his NBA career a bit I believe.
KG to the rockets..... see this why i dont fault players for demanding trades!!!! VC would still be in Toronto and Tmac still in Orlando.
Trade Garnett for a 2007 #1 plus other assets with one of the expected-to-be lousier teams and that gives the Wolves two shots at Oden and two probably lottery picks in a supposedly deep draft.
If I'm the T-wolves this is the deal I would do: KG to Chicago for: #2 pick from this year Chicago's 2007 pick that could be swapped with New York Luol Deng They'd need to wait until after free agency starts because they need to wait for Chicago's cap space to kick in. So Chicago has to draft who the wolves want at #2 and hold it until then. Minny will take either Aldridge or Thomas at #2 and either Roy or Foye at #7. They'll probably be a bad team this year and go for a lot of ping pong balls, so they'll have two chances at Oden next year and at the least two pretty high picks in the 2007 draft. For example a core of Thomas, Foye, Deng, and 2 high picks in 2007 would make an excellent rebuilding project and put them on a pretty good path back to competitiveness.
I would like to see garnett with kobe or lebron. That would make for some exciting games with the roxs
TMac for Garnett and the #6 pick. The Rox take Roy at #6 to play SF and Redick at #8 to play SG. Bring over Spanoulis with part of the MLE or throw the whole thing at Mike James. Maybe look at Gansey or Novak with the #32. Alston/Spanoulis/Head (or James/Alston/Head) Redick/Head/Frahm Roy/Bogans/Gansey Garnett/Howard/Hayes Yao/Muotmbo/Swift
Yeah, I'd do it but it's kind of lean for the Wolves. How bout TMac/8/32/Swift for Garnett/6? You can even throw in Jaric from Minn and LHead from Hou to flex it out some. Either way works at Real GM.
Exactly. Adding Mcgrady puts them in the same situation as Garnett: One superstar but not enough pieces around him. Not to mention that T-mac's back concerns make this deal a complete non-starter.
Yeah but..... They MIGHT roll the dice. We had to give up Francis, Mobeley, and Cato to get T-Mac. The TWolves would be getting T-Mac, Swift and #32 for Garnett. That's a superstar for a superstar plus only we make the throw-ins and 6 for 8 is not a huge switch and Head for Jaric is no biggie and can be included or excluded depending upon their preference. I'm willing to do the deal because T-Mac is fragile... which is why Minny won't do the deal unless they feel some desperation. But you have to ask yourself... what other superstars are available? If they are at the top of their game without question, they are unavailable.
I would love to see an Iverson/Garnett combo. Preferably in the East with the Sixers giving up Iguodala/their #1/Korver or something like that.
It would seem like a crime if KG left Minn. before McHale. Since being their GM Kevin has managed to strip Minn of its best talent other then Garnett and get nothing for it.
Minny doesn't need superstars. They need young players and draft picks to rebuild. Considering that rookies who pan out are on the most cost effective contracts in the league for 4 years means that hitting a home run with a draft pick is more valuable than a superstar getting paid superstar money. It allows you to budget around these rookies so that you can make a run in Free agency with cap space or package some young talent for the fit that you need to compete.
