The Chosen

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07/29/2007 22:09 PM - The Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics, who 
nearly completed a blockbuster Kevin Garnett trade before the June draft, have
resurrected those trade talks and are again in serious discussions, according 
to NBA front-office sources.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics, who nearly completed a 
blockbuster Kevin Garnett trade before the June draft, have resurrected those 
trade talks and are again in serious discussions, according to NBA front-office
sources.

Sources told ESPN.com on Sunday night that former teammates Kevin McHale 
and Danny Ainge have revived a deal that would end Garnett's 12-season association
with Minnesota by sending him to Ainge's Celtics, with the Wolves getting back two 
of the assets McHale coveted most last month: Al Jefferson and Theo Ratliff's 
expiring contract.

The deal, however, depends on Garnett softening his stance on playing in Boston, 
with sources indicating late Sunday that Garnett could be warming to the idea.

Garnett effectively blocked the Celtics' first attempt at trading for him by making 
it clear, through agent Andy Miller, that he would opt out of the final year of his 
contract -- which is worth $23 million -- and leave the Celtics in the summer of 
2008 because he doesn't want to play there. Unless it wants to part with the 
blossoming Jefferson for a one-year KG rental, Boston has to have a strong indication
that it can keep Garnett 
long-term before making the trade.

But Garnett might now be amenable to the move, after the fiercely loyal 31-year-old 
learned how far along the Wolves were in negotiations with Boston in June ... and
with the Celtics responding to the breakdown of its initial KG pursuit by trading the
fifth overall pick in the draft to Seattle for All-Star shooting guard Ray Allen.

Expensive as it would be, Celtics management is understandably salivating at the 
prospect of teaming Garnett with Allen and franchise mainstay Paul Pierce.

It's believed that the latest incarnation of the deal would require Boston to package 
Gerald Green and Sebastian Telfair with Jefferson and Ratliff in exchange for Garnett. 
It's also likely that other players and/or draft picks would be added to the package if 
the deal gets Garnett's signoff.

Miller could not be reached Sunday night. When the first round of Wolves-Celtics 
talks went public at draft time, Miller told ESPN.com: "If a trade were to happen, 
that's not a destination that we're interested in pursuing." 


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