garnett

[MFFL]

Mitch Lawrence: Nets' Garnett offer no gem

Hearing that the Nets offered three starters - but no stars - for Kevin Garnett, the Mavs are prepared to jump into the Garnett derby with a better offer for the first-team All-NBA power forward.
The Mavs believe they can top Jersey's offer of Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles and Keith Van Horn. They'd happily move everyone short of Don Nelson fave Dirk Nowitzki to get the deal done. The problem for the Nets, Mavs and everyone else coveting Garnett is, as much as he hasn't been able to get Minnesota out of the first round, and with all the money he's making, the Timberwolves aren't likely to move him.

That's too bad for the Nets, who know they have to get a Garnett-type of star or stand a good chance of watching Jason Kidd walk out of Jersey next summer.

Kidd says so many different things to so many different people, it's hard to gauge how he really feels. Unfortunately for the Nets, he rarely talks to his most trusted allies about staying in Jersey. Just in the last week or so, he was crowing to some of them about the Nets' intentions to try to deal for Garnett. That's a positive sign. But he's also talked about his yearn to return home to play for Golden State, or joining up with Gary Payton in Seattle.

The smart money still has Kidd leaving for San Antonio in July 2003, to join forces with Tim Duncan. You can't argue with that.

If Minnesota ever reaches the conclusion that it's time to trade Garnett, it's a cinch that other teams will call Kevin McHale. Portland has a standing offer of Rasheed Wallace, along with Bonzi Wells or Derek Anderson.

But unless the Timberwolves get a proven star in return, why would they want to deal Garnett? Take the Nets' offer. How much better would the T-Wolves be taking on the long-term contracts of Kittles and Van Horn. And even the Nets are wary of Martin's eventual need for big money.

There's a school of thought that says the T-Wolves would instead opt to rebuild, which means sending Garnett to a team like Miami, for Alonzo Mourning, whose deal is up next summer, along with a slew of future No. 1 picks. Then they can take all that money ($25 million) off their books, get under the salary cap, and start over.