fakers inch closer to landing KG

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Lakers in trade talks to get Garnett
Trade discussions involve sending Odom and Bynum for the Timberwolves star in a possible deal. Bryant is not part of the proposed trade.
By Mike Bresnahan
Times Staff Writer

2:55 PM PDT, June 25, 2007

The owners of the Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves have begun talks for a trade that would involve sending Kevin Garnett to the Lakers, league sources said today.

The Times first reported the talks as a multi-player negotiation involving the Lakers, Minnesota, Indiana and possibly a fourth team. Sources now say the Lakers are dealing directly with Minnesota and disagree about the involvement of the Pacers and a fourth team.

The Lakers are reportedly offering the TImberwolves Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown for Garnett.

Jerry Buss and Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor spoke by phone for 20 minutes Friday. Buss reportedly ended the conversation by suggesting that Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale would continue the discussion today.

Such a trade, if made, could address the concerns of Kobe Bryant, who has demanded to be traded for more than four weeks.

Bryant met with Kupchak for about an hour Friday, a day after Garnett rejected a trade that would have sent him to Boston.

Bryant did not step down from his desire to be traded. However, Kupchak, Buss and Lakers Coach Phil Jackson met later that day to discuss options based on the assumption they would still have Bryant, The Times has learned.

Garnett, 31, has never formally asked for a trade while signaling his distress in recent years as the Timberwolves fell from top-notch status. Minnesota, the No. 1-seeded team in the Western Conference in 2004, lost to the Lakers in the West finals and hasn't made the playoffs since then.

The Timberwolves finished 33-49 in 2005-06 and 32-50 last season, tied for 12th in the West with Portland.

Garnett can opt out of his contract after next season. He wants an extension, which Buss reportedly told Taylor he was willing to offer. Garnett is due to earn $22 million next season and $23 million in 2008-09, the last year of his contract.

Garnett, a 10-time All-Star, averaged 22.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 blocked shots last season while showing few signs of slowing down, other than spending the last five games of the season in Los Angeles — he has a home in Malibu — to rest a sore right quadriceps.

Bynum, 19, started his second NBA season with a flurry, including a memorable game against Minnesota in November in which he had 20 points,14 rebounds and three blocked shots.

But Bynum struggled during the second half of the season and finished with averages of 7.8 points and 5.9 rebounds a game. The Lakers have been criticized by Bryant for not trading Bynum at the February trade deadline to get Jason Kidd from New Jersey.

Odom, 27, was acquired three years ago as part of the trade that sent Shaquille O'Neal to Miami.

Odom averaged 15.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season and missed 26 games because of knee and shoulder injuries. He had a torn labrum in his left shoulder repaired last month and is expected to return in time for training camp in October.
 
I just seen this on ESPN and apparently its a four team
trade proposal that breaks down like this.

LAKERS get Garnett
PACERS get Odom & Bynum
CELTICS get Jermaine O'Neil
T-WOLVES get 5th and 19th pick
(they currently have the 7th)​
 
Celtics Pull Out Of Four-Way KG Deal
25th June, 2007 - 7:21 pm
Arizona Republic -
LOS ANGELES - The owners of the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves have begun talks for a trade that would involve sending Kevin Garnett to the Lakers, NBA sources said Monday.

The talks turned into discussions about a four-way deal among the Lakers, Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics, in which the Lakers would have gotten Garnett. However, the deal broke down, reportedly because the Celtics did not like what they would have gotten, ending the four-way negotiations.

The Lakers are now back to direct two-team talks with the Timberwolves. However, sources say, Minnesota General Manager Kevin McHale wants young players and high draft choices and isn't keen on the Lakers' offer of Andrew Bynum, who is young (19), and Lamar Odom (27), who isn't.

Jerry Buss and Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor spoke by phone for 20 minutes Friday. Buss reportedly ended the conversation by suggesting that Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak and McHale continue the discussion Monday. Acquiring Garnett could address the concerns of Lakers star Kobe Bryant, who has demanded to be traded for more than four weeks.

Bryant met with Kupchak for about an hour Friday, a day after Garnett rejected a trade that would have sent him to Boston.

Bryant did not step down from his desire to be traded. However, Kupchak, Buss and Lakers Coach Phil Jackson met later that day to discuss options based on the assumption they would still have Bryant, the Los Angeles Times has learned.

Garnett, 31, has never formally asked for a trade while signaling his distress in recent years as the Timberwolves fell from top-notch status. Minnesota, the No. 1-seeded team in the Western Conference in 2004, lost to the Lakers in the West finals and hasn't made the playoffs since then.

The Timberwolves finished 33-49 in 2005-06 and 32-50 last season, tied for 12th in the West with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Garnett can opt out of his contract after next season. He wants an extension, which Buss reportedly told Taylor he was willing to offer. Garnett is due to earn $22 million next season and $23 million in 2008-09, the last year of his contract.

Garnett, a 10-time All-Star, averaged 22.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 blocked shots last season while showing few signs of slowing down, other than spending the last five games of the season in Los Angeles -- he has a home in Malibu -- to rest a sore right quadriceps.

Bynum started his second NBA season with a flurry, including a memorable game against Minnesota in November in which he had 20 points,14 rebounds and three blocked shots.

But Bynum struggled during the second half of the season and finished with averages of 7.8 points and 5.9 rebounds a game. The Lakers have been criticized by Bryant for not trading Bynum at the February trade deadline to get Jason Kidd from the New Jersey Nets.

Odom was acquired three years ago as part of the trade that sent Shaquille O'Neal to the Miami Heat.

Odom averaged 15.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season and missed 26 games because of knee and shoulder injuries. He had a torn labrum in his left shoulder repaired last month and is expected to return in time for training camp in October.
 
Lakers stay on Garnett watch
Front office scrambles, but Timberwolves seek youth, better draft pick and don't like Odom's deal.
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
June 27, 2007

If Monday brought expectation and exhilaration to Lakers fans, Tuesday delivered silence.

Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor met with team officials in Minneapolis and then left for a honeymoon in China without signing off on a deal to send Kevin Garnett to the Lakers for a package including Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, which put the Garnett-to-L.A. scenarios back where they were a week ago — remote territory.

The buzz in the Lakers organization after owner Jerry Buss spoke with Taylor a few days ago was replaced by the fact that Kevin McHale's initial reaction to the trade proposal had carried over into Tuesday.

McHale, the Timberwolves' vice president of basketball operations, felt the Lakers don't possess a good enough pick in Thursday's draft (19th overall) or enough promising youth beyond Andrew Bynum to part with Garnett.

Furthermore, The Times has learned that the Timberwolves are not overly enamored with Odom's contract, which has two more years worth $27.4 million with no opt-out.

Garnett is due $22 million next season and he could opt out before making $23 million in 2008-09, which means the Timberwolves would be on the hook for more money with Odom than they would have been if Garnett had opted out next summer.

Still, the Lakers' front office is in motion, seeing what can be worked out in the hours leading up to Thursday's draft.

"We're trying to be as aggressive as we could be, which means a lot of phone calls are being made and a lot of phone calls are being received," said Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak, speaking generally about the state of business at the team's training facility in El Segundo. "It is very busy and I don't anticipate that changing until the draft is over."

The head-to-head dealing isn't necessarily dead between the Lakers and Timberwolves, but a third team would probably have to be pulled into the mix to supply the Timberwolves with another youthful piece and a better draft pick. The Atlanta Hawks, with the third and 11th picks in the draft, would be a logical place to start.

But if Monday was any indication when a four-team deal centered around Garnett broke apart, another multi-team trade scenario might be difficult for the Lakers to assemble before the draft.

Also adding pressure to strike a deal is a $6.75-million trade kicker in Garnett's contract that could push the issue the next few days.

If he is traded before July 1, the kicker money can be split over last season and next season, which would potentially lessen the luxury-tax impact by a team that acquires him. Beginning July 1, all $6.75 million would have to go toward next season's payroll, presenting more of a challenge for a team facing luxury-tax issues.

On July 1, the Lakers will be looking at a roster with only 10 players under contract for $58.4 million next season. However, that does not include money for draft picks, their own free agents — Luke Walton and Chris Mihm — and an estimated $5 million for the first year of a contract of a free agent signed via the mid-level exception.

The NBA's luxury tax kicked in at $65.4 million last season, with teams paying a dollar in taxes for every dollar they were over the threshold.

Beyond the Lakers and Timberwolves not initially connecting, a source close to the 10-time All-Star said Garnett has Pacific Division rival Phoenix higher than L.A. on a short list of preferred destinations.

"He definitely wouldn't mind getting alley-oops from Steve Nash," the source said.

Lakers center Kwame Brown is scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery this morning, his second operation since the season ended.

Brown had reconstructive ankle surgery last month and was expected to be out at least four months.

Brown, who has been mentioned in numerous trade rumors, will have a bursa sac and scar tissue removed from his right shoulder. A timetable for his recovery will not be known until after the shoulder procedure, although he is still expected back in time for training camp in October.

The surgery will be performed in Los Angeles by Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic.

Brown sat out 41 games last season because of his shoulder and, more prominently, his left ankle.
 
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