NBA Trade Bombshell: Kevin Garnett returns to Timberwolves
The veteran returns to where he rose to fame in a trade flurry that shook up the entire NBA.
The veteran returns to where he rose to fame in a trade flurry that shook up the entire NBA.
A deal that has 15-time All-Star forward聽Kevin聽Garnett聽headed back to his original team, the聽Minnesota Timberwolves, headlined a late flurry of moves ahead of聽the NBA's trade deadline on Thursday.
The deal, which will send聽Thaddeus Young聽to the Brooklyn Nets, was agreed to by both teams but had to wait for聽Garnett聽to drop his no-trade clause, according to multiple reports.
Garnett, who won an聽NBA title聽in 2008 with聽Boston, will lend a veteran presence to a young team in聽Minnesota, where the 20-year veteran broke into the league as the fifth overall pick of the 1995 draft.
A trio of three-team deals were also made as contenders fine-tuned rosters ahead of the playoffs, while other teams dealt with an eye to the long-term future, according to nba.com as many late deals had not yet been confirmed by the clubs.
The聽Miami Heat聽acquired prized Suns guard聽Goran Dragic聽in a three-way trade with聽New Orleans聽and聽Phoenix, which pocketed a pair of first-round draft picks in the process.
Point guard Dragic, who was traded along with his brother Zoran, was averaging 16.2 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 52 games this season in the last year of his contract.
In another three-way swap,聽Phoenix聽acquired guard聽Brandon Knight聽from the聽Milwaukee Bucks, who received guard Michael-Carter Williams from the聽Philadelphia 76ers聽and center-forward聽Miles Plumlee聽and guard聽Tyler Ennis聽from the Suns.
The Sixers, meanwhile, received a protected 2015 first-round pick from the Suns via the聽Los Angeles Lakers.
Another deadline deal sent Thunder guard聽Reggie Jackson聽to聽Detroit, four players to Oklahoma City including center Enes Kanter from聽Utah聽and guard聽D.J. Augustin聽from the Pistons, and聽Kendrick Perkins聽and a first-round draft pick to聽Utah.
The Celtics obtained guard聽Isaiah Thomas聽from聽Phoenix聽for聽Marcus Thornton聽and a draft pick, and聽Boston聽also dealt聽Tayshaun Prince聽to聽Detroit聽for聽Luigi Datome聽and聽Jonas Jerebko.
New York and聽Houston聽swapped international players as the Knicks traded veteran Italian guard Pablo Prigioni to the Rockets for young Russian guard聽Alexey Shved聽and a pair of second-round picks.
In another swap of guards, the聽Washington Wizards聽acquired Ramon Sessions from聽Sacramento聽in exchange for聽Andre Miller.
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)