The Minnesota Timberwolves are in discussions to bring back Kevin Garnett, as first reported by ESPN's Marc Stein. The potential deal, which would have to be completed before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, would send Thaddeus Young to the Brooklyn Nets.
Sources told ESPN.com the sides have engaged in serious discussions on the deal, which would ultimately require Garnett's approval even if the teams agree before Thursday's 3 p.m. deadline, since Garnett possesses one of the NBA's six full no-trade clauses.
…
[Minnesota president and head coach Flip] Saunders remains close with Garnett and is said to covet a reunion to bring back the most popular player in Wolves annals as a mentor to the many youngsters on the current roster, headlined by 2014's No. 1 overall draft pick Andrew Wiggins.
Chances are your first reaction to this was some variation of this: "Whoa! … Cool?" Having KG finish his career where it started is a nice story. It's certainly better, as a fan of his, than watching him limp to the end on a depressing Nets team. The Wolves are in the painful process of rebuilding, though, and it's a) unclear that Garnett would approve such a move after telling Brooklyn reporters he'd rather not uproot his family, b) not a move that will necessarily make Minnesota better in the short or long term.
This isn't the first time the Nets have been interested in Young, who general manager Billy King drafted when he was in charge of the Philadelphia 76ers. If Garnett does agree to waive his no-trade clause -- he will speak to the Wolves on Thursday about it, according to the New York Post's Tim Bontemps -- why would the Minnesota go after a 38-year-old? Is it just a publicity stunt?
The obvious rationale (aside from ticket sales) was mentioned by Stein: Garnett can be a mentor. While Young is respected for his professionalism, he doesn't have a voice as loud as Garnett's. No one does. It's not just Andrew Wiggins -- the Wolves have Anthony Bennett, Zach LaVine, Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad, Adreian Payne and Glenn Robinson III on the roster. That's a whole lot of young players who can learn from the former MVP and future Hall of Famer.
Garnett is the kind of guy who makes practices more intense. He has plenty of stories to tell. Saunders probably thinks he can help establish the culture going forward, even if he's around for fewer than 30 games. If this happens and then he retires, Wiggins will still hear Garnett's voice in his head next season when he makes mistakes. The team has the worst defensive rating in the league, and Garnett would at least try to instill some sense of pride on that end of the floor.
Minnesota might also simply want to move Young and create more cap space this summer. The forward has a player option next season worth a little less than $10 million. While that's not a bad number, Saunders could have decided he's not a part of the team's long-term plans. It's regrettable that the Wolves gave up a first-round pick for him last offseason, but that's a sunk cost now. Of course, there's a (good!) argument that they'd be better off getting a young prospect or draft pick in return, but it's hard to know what offers are out there. Perhaps Brooklyn might sweeten the deal by sending Minnesota one of the few picks it still owns.
Garnett doesn't like change, so the smart money is on him staying where he is. It's worth noting, though, that he said he'd like to buy the Wolves when he's done playing. He still has great respect for Saunders and Minnesota assistant coach Sam Mitchell. If you take the sentimentality out of it, the Wolves are doing a bit of a strange thing in going after a big man playing in his 20th season. But they have their reasons.
