Jul 31, 2007, 19:55 GMT
Boston, MA - The Boston Celtics officially acquired star forward Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 7-for-1 deal on Tuesday.
Heading to Minnesota are forwards Al Jefferson and Ryan Gomes; guards Gerald Green and Sebastian Telfair; center Theo Ratliff and two draft picks. One pick is Boston's 2009 first-round selection (top three protected) and the second is the conditional first-round pick Boston acquired from Minnesota in the Wally Szczerbiak-Ricky Davis trade. The Timberwolves also receive cash considerations in the deal.
'Kevin Garnett is a great player in our league, with a fierce and competitive spirit, who brings offensive scoring prowess and a defensive presence to our team,' said executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge. 'The players we're trading to Minnesota have bright futures in the NBA and we wish them well.'
Garnett, 31, averaged 22.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 blocks last season for Minnesota, which finished a disappointing 32-50. The 6- foot-11, 12-year veteran has career averages of 20.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.7 blocks.
Flanked by draft-night acquisition Ray Allen and Celtics mainstay Paul Pierce, Garnett showed off his new No. 5 green uniform for the media throng.
Garnett, a former MVP and 10-time All-Star, said he originally wanted to stay in Minnesota, but things changed and this gave him a new opportunity.
'I thought this was probably my best opportunity to win a ring,' Garnett said. 'I took the big steps to make those adjustments and here we are.'
Boston had a sub-par 2006-07 campaign, ending an Eastern Conference worst 24-58. The acquisition of Garnett is just one of many moves in a busy offseason for Ainge, but more moves could be on the way.
'We don't think that these three guys alone can win a championship,' Ainge said. 'These guys need supporting players that can get them over the top. On paper this team looks good. These guys have a lot to do. They have to get the chemistry right, they have to make the sacrifices to win.'
With Allen, Pierce and Garnett at the forefront, the Celtics move from a playoff bust to an instant contender for a conference championship. The team hasn't reached the NBA Finals since the 1986-87 season when a former big three tandem of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish led the Celtics.
The current big three averaged a combined 73.8 points per game last season.
'The Boston Celtics are an elite franchise,' Pierce said. 'Now that we made the deals to be at the elite level, that's what the city is all about, and staying there.'
Garnett is one of just five players in NBA history to amass at least 19,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists joining Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. Garnett led the NBA in rebounding for the fourth consecutive season this past year.
Jefferson, the 15th overall pick by the Celtics in the 2004 NBA Draft, averaged a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds in 69 games last season.
Green finished last year with averages of 10.4 points and 2.6 rebounds while Gomes posted 12.1 points and 5.6 boards per contest. Meanwhile, Ratliff appeared in just two games for the Celtics last season due to injury and Telfair averaged 6.1 points and 2.8 assists per contest.
'This trade is about improving the Minnesota Timberwolves and improving our team for the future,' said Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale. 'The past few seasons our on-court performance has been disappointing to our fans, myself, Glen Taylor and the entire organization. Through this trade, we have obtained very talented, young players with a lot of potential, future flexibility with the salary cap and two future first-round NBA draft picks. This will not be an overnight fix, but it is the big step in renewing our commitment to build an exciting franchise for our fans.'
© 2007 The Sports Network
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