Kevin Garnett Officially a Celtic

Not to get everyone in Bean Town's hopes up, but two very important things happened to day with the acquisition of Kevin Garnett: a) Danny Ainge looks like a genius, finally and b) The Celtics may get into the playoffs this year.

The Boston Celtics announced that their team and the Minnesota Timberwolves finalized a blockbuster trade today that sent Kevin Garnett and some cash to the Celtics in exchange for -- get this -- a record 7 players. In exchange for Garnett, the Timberwolves get Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff, Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair, a 2009 first round draft pick and a conditional draft pick from an earlier trade.

At first glance the deal may look fairly lopsided since the Celtics had some rising talent in Jefferson and Gomes, but Garnett is probably worth all of those players. He made an immediate impact when he entered the league 12 years ago at the age of 18. A ten time all-star, the 6'11" player has averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds throughout his career. He also is a deft passer, averaging 4.2 assists last year along with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Garnett is only one of five players to amass 19,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists in his career. And he's only 30.

At first, Garnett rejected trade proposals to the Celtics. The Celtics, though stocked with young talent, weren't in a position to make a true run for the championship. They finished close to last in the league the past two seasons and had one star player, Paul Pierce, who was close to leaving the team. Garnett spent his whole career at Minnesota hoping that they'd build a championship roster around him, but it never happened and going to Boston wasn't going to help him get the ring.

However, Danny Ainge, the Celtics General Manager who has been maligned for his quirky trades and contracts, managed to keep Pierce in Boston as well as sign another star player, pure-shooter Ray Allen. Allen was acquired from the Seattle Sonics in a trade during draft night. The lure of the Irish was working for Garnett.

"I am excited to become a Celtic," Garnett said during the press conference. "It's wonderful to have the opportunity to play with players the quality of Paul (Pierce) and Ray (Allen). The Celtics have had a proud tradition and now I hope that we can add to the legacy."

SOURCE:

www.celtics.com

URL for Press Release:

http://www.nba.com/celtics/news/press073107-garnett.html