There’s no indication that Kevin Garnett has made any final decision about playing in 2015/16, but he’s still leaning toward doing so, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Garnett, who’s on an expiring contract, wouldn’t commit to another season during the press conference that followed his deadline trade to the Timberwolves. However, Minnesota is planning to make the 20th-year veteran a two-year offer this summer, as Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press reported at the deadline, and Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune reported shortly thereafter that Garnett was expected to sign such an offer.
Garnett’s return to Minnesota has not gone according to script so far. He’s played in only five games because of a troublesome left knee. Still, the Wolves acquired him in large measure for his influence on the locker room. He turns 39 in May, and another NBA season would tie him with Robert Parish and Kevin Willis for the most seasons played of all time. The Andy Miller client makes $12MM this season, but his market value is difficult to peg given the juxtaposition of his declining on-court productivity and the priority the Wolves have placed on his mere presence around the franchise. Minnesota has about $51MM committed to nine players for next season, not including a $5MM player option for Chase Budinger that he seems sure to pick up.
Garnett has acknowledged an interest in buying the Wolves at some point, and owner Glen Taylor has said that his return as a player enhances his chances of becoming a part-owner. He and coach/executive Flip Saunders, who already owns a minority stake in the team, are expected to put together a group to buy the majority of the franchise from Taylor over the next two years, but Taylor has made it clear the franchise isn’t currently on the market.