Pistons, Knicks shopping for KG?
posted: Monday, November 21, 2005
Get ready for the Kevin Garnett trade rumors, the first of which was quickly shot down Sunday by Kevin McHale and Joe Dumars -- even as others maintained it was legit.
Both team executives denied there was any truth to talk that made its way around the league over the weekend that the Detroit Pistons were willing to ship a package including Rasheed Wallace and Darko Milicic to Minnesota for Garnett.
The future of the 29-year-old eight-time All-Star came into question after Garnett's much-discussed interview Thursday night on TNT. Garnett criticized McHale for his handling of the Timberwolves during the troubled 2004-05 season in which Flip Saunders was fired and McHale took over as head coach.
Dumars insisted he had not been in contact with the Wolves regarding Garnett, and McHale also dismissed the rumor, which came as executives from others teams were trying to gauge whether the Timberwolves would seriously consider dealing the franchise player who has been with Minnesota throughout his entire 10-year NBA career. Team owner Glen Taylor told reporters in Minnesota that Garnett has "never, ever" sought a trade.
"We're not trading Garnett," McHale said Sunday night.
The prevailing opinion around the league is that Minnesota, barring a sustained nosedive prior to the All-Star break, would not consider trading Garnett before next summer. With a record of 5-4 following their victory over Charlotte on Saturday night, the Wolves are in first place in the Northwest Division.
Garnett is under contract for $18 million this season, then will make $21, $22 and $23 million over the next three years. With Wally Szczerbiak under contract for an equal number of years ($10 million this season, $11, $12 and $13 million the next three), the Timberwolves would have very little salary cap flexibility for the next half-decade unless they jettisoned their two highest-paid players. Minnesota already has a forward, Mark Madsen, and three guards, Marko Jaric, Troy Hudson and Trenton Hassell, signed at least through the 2009-10 season.
One source told ESPN.com that the New York Knicks had made Minnesota an offer that included the expiring contracts of Penny Hardaway ($15.7 million) and Antonio Davis ($13.9 million). But for such a trade to work under salary cap rules, the Knicks would also have to take back Sczcerbiak. While that deal would be stunningly lopsided talent- wise, it would relieve the Wolves of $102 million in salary obligations over the next three seasons, allowing them to enter the 2006 offseason with approximately $25 million of cap space.
One source close to several NBA players insisted that the viability of the Knicks' offer should not be dismissed, going so far as to say Garnett was making a private push through back channels to be dealt to New York and reunite with former teammate Stephon Marbury.
"I'd bet money he'll be wearing a Knicks uniform by the end of February," the source said.
Another source insisted Detroit's offer of Wallace and Milicic was real, adding that the offer was made through another Pistons official so that Dumars could maintain deniability in case the players came to him for an explanation.
The Nets have also been mentioned as a possible trade partner in a Garnett deal, but it is believed the Wolves would consider a deal with New Jersey only if they could get back Richard Jefferson, whose status as a base-year compensation player under salary cap rules makes him exceedingly difficult to deal. The best offer the Nets could make this season would include Vince Carter, another player (Nenad Krstic?, Mile Ilic?) and a pair of No. 1 picks (their own and the Clippers').
