- We'll know soon apparently. Talks have re-ignited and a deal looks imminent. I would hope there would be draft picks for Minnesota as well. An expiring contract, a marginal young point guard, and an up and coming low post guy seems a bit low for a superstar.
Sources: Celtics, T-Wolves discussing Garnett trade again
By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
Updated: July 30, 2007, 7:27 AM ET
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics, who nearly completed a blockbuster Kevin Garnett trade before the June draft, have resurrected those trade talks and are again locked in serious discussions, according to NBA front-office sources.
Multiple sources told ESPN.com on Sunday night that former teammates Kevin McHale and Danny Ainge have revived discussions of a deal that would end Garnett's 12-season association with Minnesota by sending him to Ainge's Celtics, with the Wolves getting back two of the assets McHale coveted most last month: Al Jefferson and Theo Ratliff's expiring contract.
The deal depends on Garnett backing off his well-chronicled unwillingness to play in Boston. Yet sources indicated late Sunday that Garnett was warming to the idea, raising hopes on both sides that the deal will finally go through.
Garnett effectively blocked the Celtics' first attempt at trading for him by making it clear, through agent Andy Miller, that he would opt out of the final year of his contract (worth $23 million) and leave the Celtics in the summer of 2008. Had it gone through with that trade anyway, Boston would have potentially been parting with the blossoming Jefferson for a one-year Garnett rental.
But Garnett could now be amenable to the move, after the fiercely loyal 31-year-old learned how far along the Wolves were in negotiations with Boston in June and with the Celtics responding to the breakdown of its initial pursuit by trading the fifth overall pick in the draft to Seattle for All-Star shooting guard Ray Allen.
Expensive as it would be to employ a trio of All-Stars -- especially since Garnett is expected to demand a lucrative, luxury tax-triggering extension from his new team -- Celtics management is understandably optimistic about selling Garnett on the prospect of teaming with Allen and franchise mainstay Paul Pierce in an Eastern Conference for the taking. The Celtics would be expected to contend for an NBA Finals berth right away if the trade goes through, no matter what they put around that trio, after Cleveland advanced to the Finals in June with not even a clear-cut second star next to LeBron James.
Yet it remains to be seen, assuming that the Celtics secure Garnett's sign-off, what kind of package Boston can provide Minnesota now that the Celtics' No. 5 pick has been used by the SuperSonics to draft Georgetown's Jeff Green. The Wolves badly wanted that pick as part of their rebuilding plans.
It's believed that the latest incarnation of the deal would have Boston adding Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair and multiple future draft picks to Jefferson and Ratliff in exchange for Garnett. It's also likely that other players would have to be added to the deal, since the salary-cap math involved would require both teams to account for Garnett's $6.75 million trade kicker.
Miller could not be reached Sunday night to provide Garnett's up-to-date stance on Boston. When the first round of Wolves-Celtics talks were made public, Miller told ESPN.com: "If a trade [from Minnesota] were to happen, that's not a destination that we're interested in pursuing."
Garnett has said for years that he doesn't want to leave his beloved "Sota," as he calls it, and has consistently refused to push for a trade, even with the Wolves missing the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. But Boston's cause might be helped by the possibility that becoming a Celtic or returning to Minnesota after he was so vigorously shopped are Garnett's only options.
ESPN.com reported in June that Garnett would be hoping for a trade to the Phoenix Suns if he did have to leave the only team he has ever played for. His reasons, according to sources: Garnett would prefer to play in a warm-weather city on a team with championship potential if he's forced to relocate. Another big factor: Garnett and Steve Nash have become good friends over the past few years, starting in 2005 when Garnett was one of the first players in the league to call Nash and congratulate him on his first MVP trophy.
Phoenix, Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers all joined Boston in making hard trade pushes for Garnett before the June 28 draft. Dallas also expressed serious interest despite its inability to realistically join the chase until after July 1, when the Mavericks could again manufacture at least one cap-friendly contract to offer the Wolves.
The Suns, though, have apparently dropped out of the bidding, unable to make a deal work financially and unwilling to part with Amare Stoudemire. Golden State's chances, meanwhile, took a hit when a potential three-team Garnett trade involving Charlotte collapsed on draft night, with the Warriors deciding they couldn't wait on a maybe and proceeding instead with the trade of Jason Richardson to the Bobcats.
Sources nonetheless insist that McHale has had the Celtics at the top of his list from the start, mainly because of his fondness for Jefferson and Minnesota's natural desire to move Garnett out of its conference. But some teams also believe that McHale's comfort level negotiating with Ainge was another key factor. The former Celtics colleagues remain close and frequently watched games together during the recent NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
The Wolves made the determination near the end of the playoffs that they would seriously entertain the prospect of trading Garnett for the first time, according to team sources, with Garnett being informed of that change in philosophy directly by owner Glen Taylor.
Taylor announced in mid-July that the organization was no longer looking to move the NBA's 2004 MVP, telling the St. Paul Pioneer-Press that Garnett's "preference was that we not trade him." Yet just days earlier, one rival executive insisted to ESPN.com that he knew "for a fact" that Minnesota remained intent on trading Garnett before the 2007-08 season starts.
Garnett rejected the initial move to Boston even though it would have put him in the easier-to-conquer East and even though he is friendly with Pierce. But he was undeniably stung by the near-trade, sources said, which only increased his growing frustration with McHale and Taylor and left him bracing for a trade ever since.
"This would be a major trade that would affect a franchise and those in the organization, so you better be sure [he wants to be there long term]," Miller said last month after squashing the original trade.
- Rangers once again can't be competitive against one of the worst franchises in baseball. This seems to be a common theme every year against the Royals. And Kam Loe struggles, again. Rangers get swept.
Reeling and dealing: Rangers fall, 10-0
01:55 AM CDT on Monday, July 30, 2007
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – About an hour before Sunday's game, Michael Young double-checked the math: The Rangers are off Monday and don't play again until 6:05 p.m. Tuesday. The trading deadline arrives at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
If he had all his figures correct, Sunday possibly would be the last game he played with Mark Teixeira as a teammate. Could be the last one with Eric Gagne as a Ranger, too. And maybe you can throw in some complementary players as well, such as Ron Mahay or Joaquin Benoit.
A few hours later, after a 10-0 loss to Kansas City completed the Royals' three-game sweep, Young admitted the thought really doesn't sit well with him.
"Those two guys [Teixeira and Gagne] that could be traded from here are two great players," Young said. "There is no way I can be thrilled about that. I hoped to play my whole career with Mark Teixeira. All I can say is I hope that on Tuesday, Tex goes deep and Gagne closes it out for us."
If the Rangers had planned to make an 11th-hour pitch to management to tone down the number of deals that could be made, they did a poor job. They followed a four-game sweep of contending Seattle by losing three in a row to Kansas City, which entered the weekend as one of three AL teams with a worse winning percentage than themselves.
And it wasn't just that the Rangers lost three in a row. It was how they lost that could impact management's thinking. After six weeks of playing very strong baseball, the Rangers reacted to the trade of veteran leadoff man Kenny Lofton on Friday by reverting to the brand of non-competitive baseball that got the team into this mess in the first place.
The lineup was unresponsive. The Rangers scored six runs over the weekend. Five came off the bat of Nelson Cruz, who had spent the last two months in the minors.
Starting pitchers allowed 17 runs in 14 2/3 innings and pushed the rotation ERA back to the cusp of six. After Kameron Loe allowed four runs in the second and six in 5 2/3 innings, the ERA now teeters at 5.99.
The Rangers fell behind by five runs or more in all three games, a symptom that was commonplace when the team fell 19 games under .500 earlier this season.
To top it off, Sunday marked the first shutout loss to pitching-poor Kansas City since 2003. It was only the second time since 1996 the Rangers managed as few as four hits against the Royals. And the 10-run deficit was the Rangers' worst shellacking against them since a 12-0 loss in 1995.
"They outplayed us in every facet of the game," said Teixeira, who had a ninth-inning single in four at-bats.
Teixeira, however, would not address the possibility of his Rangers career ending. After the game, he flipped his hat into the crowd. But when asked about the trade situation later, he repeated his common refrain:
"I'm not going to talk about it," he said, managing a weak smile. "I'm not going to talk about the trade deadline or anything like that."
Teixeira's impact hasn't been enough to dissuade the Rangers from pushing forward with one of the four possible deals on which they're working (Arizona, Atlanta and both Los Angeles clubs). The bizarre, unexplainable fact is, the Rangers have been a better team without Teixeira than with him.
Though he is hitting .281 since his return from the DL – .471 with runners in scoring position – Sunday's loss dropped the Rangers to 8-9 since his return. They are 30-48 when he has played this year, 16-11 when he hasn't. With Teixeira in the lineup, the Rangers have averaged 4.78 runs per game, without him 5.11.
"I don't think the trade deadline or anything along those lines has anything to do with how we played this weekend," Young said. "They just played better baseball than us."
- Arizona interested in Teixeira now? And a Gagne update.
Arizona shows interest in Teixeira
11:34 PM CDT on Sunday, July 29, 2007
By EVAN GRANT / The Dallas Morning News
egrant@dallasnews.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Arizona Diamondbacks, perhaps buoyed by an eight-game winning streak that came to a halt Sunday, have become late entrants into the Mark Teixeira sweepstakes, three major league sources said Sunday.
What is not as clear is if the Rangers are too far along with other possibilities to spend much time talking to Arizona.
With less than 48 hours until Tuesday's 3 p.m. deadline, the club continued to talk seriously with three trade partners it has engaged for more than week: the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.
Rangers GM Jon Daniels maintained his stance of declining to talk about trade scenarios.
While the Braves made an offer earlier in the week that focused on catcher-first baseman Jarrod Saltalamacchia, and the Angels had tweaked their initial offer to include first baseman Casey Kotchman and left-hander Joe Saunders, Arizona's interest could serve as a spark to the more dormant talks with the Dodgers.
The Diamondbacks have moved within one percentage point of the first-place Dodgers in the NL West. San Diego is only a half-game behind the two.
The Rangers have been trying to pry Highland Park lefty Clayton Kershaw out of Los Angeles with little success. The Dodgers are believed to be willing to part with first baseman James Loney and outfielder Andre Ethier in a deal that potentially could send Teixeira and a reliever to Los Angeles.
Arizona is laden with prospects, but it's uncertain how well the teams match up. In a deal for Teixeira, 25-year-old first baseman Conor Jackson, hitting .274 with seven homers, probably would come to the Rangers. The Diamondbacks also have center-field prospects, but the Rangers also would like to land a young, major-league ready pitcher in a deal.
Gagne uncertain: Reliever Eric Gagne, whose name also has been discussed in various trade scenarios, said he was uncertain if his Rangers career is over.
"I hope my chances of being here are pretty good," Gagne said after the 10-0 loss to Kansas City. "But I have no idea. I've thought about it a lot. It's been on my mind a lot. Even when I try not to think about it, I end up thinking about it."
Gagne has a no-trade clause that allows him to veto deals to 18 teams. He declined to say Sunday if he'd been presented with any trade options. He can veto a deal to Detroit, which is one team that has expressed interest in him. But he can't block a deal to the New York Yankees, another club that reportedly has interest. The Yankees, however, would want him to pitch the eighth. Gagne, the all-time leader in save percentage, has said he'd prefer to pitch the ninth.
- Big 12 News/Notes
- A player's poll conducted by the Tulsa paper.
Q: If you were drafting a team of Big 12 players, who would you pick first?
A: 1st: Adarius Bowman, OSU
2nd: Chase Daniel, UM, and Mike Goodson , ATM
Several tied for 3rd, including Terrence Nunn.
PLAYER QUOTE: "Can I choose myself? Then I'd pick me." - Josh Freeman, KSU
Q: Where is the nastiest place to play in a Big 12 road game?
1st: Colorado
PLAYER QUOTE: "At Colorado two years ago, I got hit with a Nerf football before one of the plays. I wasn't so much angry as I was impressed by the shot. I don't know how he threw it, but I was like, 'Sign him up for our team.'" - J.B. Phillips, NU
2nd: Iowa State
PLAYER QUOTE: "Their fans aren't really cocky, but they're out there in the parking lot getting blasted before the game. When you get off the bus, they let you have it." Jason Smith, Baylor
3- OSU
4- KSU
5- KU
6- ATM
7- Tech
8- OSU
9- Mizzou
10- Nebraska
no votes: Baylor, UT
Q: Who is the classiest opponent in the Big 12?
A: 1st: Nebraska
2nd: Texas
PLAYER QUOTE: "I love playing at Nebraska. It's the ideal football atmosphere. The players are clean and the fans are really courteous." Brandon McAnderson, KU
Q: What Big 12 team has the loudest mouths?
1st: Texas
2nd: Tech, OSU, KSU, KU
6th: NU & OU
PLAYER QUOTE: "Nebraska - they always have something to say and are always cocky. Their fans are, too." Hugh Charles, CU
Q: What's the one team you'd like to add to your schedule?
1st: USC
2nd: Notre Dame, Florida, Michigan
Q: What is your favorite football movie?
1st: Any Given Sunday and Remember The Titans
** BEST PLAYER QUOTE OF ALL: "Rudy - I've always loved Notre Dame, ever since I was a kid. To tell you the truth, I'd like to go to Notre Dame." Alex Trlica, Texas Tech kicker.
- Trouble for the top recruit of Texas' 2006 class.
Texas' Kindle arrested on DWI charge
By JOSEPH DUARTE
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle
University of Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle was arrested in the Austin area Saturday morning on a charge of driving while intoxicated.
Kindle, 19, a sophomore from Dallas, was expected to compete for a starting job this season. He was regarded as one of the top recruits in the state before signing with the Longhorns in 2006.
"We're aware of Sergio's situation and are disappointed any time one of our players is accused of wrongdoing," Texas coach Mack Brown said in a statement. "We take a strong stance against drinking and driving and will thoroughly investigate this situation.
"One thing we have really prided ourselves on in our program is our family atmosphere and this will be handled within our family."
According to a police report, Kindle was arrested at 2:35 a.m. Saturday during a routine traffic stop for failing to stay in a single-marked lane. Kindle failed a field sobriety test and was arrested for DWI, the report said.
Defensive end Henry Melton was arrested for driving while intoxicated in early June.
- Dirk Update
- Some quotes re basketball in Germany and some recent drunk photos.
Doesn't Count For Much
Jul 30 - Dirk Nowitzki would love to think his NBA Most Valuable Player award could inspire a new generation of basketball players in Germany, but the Dallas Mavericks star admits the game faces an uphill battle in his homeland.
"My MVP title surely helped to make basketball more popular in Germany, and the same thing goes for the good results of our national team," he told Swiss newspaper Neue Luzerner Zeitung. "But the fact remains -- Germany is and always will be a soccer nation."
Nowitzki is in Switzerland where he attended the Swiss All-Star Basketball Camp in Zofingen this week. However, his attentions are mostly focused on the EuroBasket in September. --
- Picks O'the day
Weekend record - 17-10
YTD - 99-82
1) LA Angels -130 - Escobar one of hottest pitchers going. 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA in his last 3. Angels hot after sweeping DET at home.
2) OAK -120 - I'm loading up against DET the rest of the year. This team irritates me with their hit or miss offense, decision to make Todd Jones their closer, and how many errors their pitchers make. Plus they're starting a rookie today.
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