The Brooklyn Nets have the highest payroll in the NBA and very little potential to show for it. The Minnesota Timberwolves have a young roster with some quality veterans, but could stand to add a powerful voice in the locker room.
Not only were both goals achieved, but one of the greatest players in NBA history is returning to where it all started.
According to David Aldridge of NBA.com, the Brooklyn Nets have sent Kevin Garnett to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for forward Thaddeus Young.
Source: Kevin Garnett agrees to trade, will go home to Minnesota for Thaddeus Young.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) February 19, 2015
Garnett agreed to waive his no-trade clause to make this deal happen.
Garnett, 38, is a decorated legend at the tail-end of his career. He’s former NBA champion, league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, and has 15 All-Star Game appearances, nine All-NBA nods and 12 All-Defensive Team selections.
From 1995 to 2007, Garnett was also the star of the Timberwolves.
KG will return to Minnesota after eight years away from the team he made relevant. He brought Minnesota its first postseason appearance, its first MVP award, its first playoff series win and put it on the map as a contender in the deep Western Conference.
Since Garnett departed in 2007 to form the, “Big Three,” with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce on the Boston Celtics, the T-Wolves haven’t made a single postseason appearance.
For Brooklyn, Young is a hybrid forward who can help on both ends of the floor. He’s long, explosive and relatively skilled as a player who can put up points at a reasonable rate and provide a statistical impact in virtually every category.
Working alongside Mason Plumlee, Young will make the Nets a significantly more athletic team than before. Alongside Joe Johnson, he’ll add a new dynamic to a team that lacked a transition attack.
Both Garnett and Young will be unrestricted free agents at the end of 2014-15.
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