KG and Kobe Bryant?: Where Kevin Garnett Should Land

As things stand, it's almost a must that Kevin Garnett be traded.  The Timberwolves are going nowhere fast, and KG's patience is waning. To keep Garnett in Minnesota would be to do a disservice to team and player alike.

With the trade winds swirling, T-Wolves GM Kevin McHale has four primary offers on the table—though only one would pay dividends to both parties involved, and the most likely would be a disaster for everyone.

Here's how things look:

Scenario One: Garnett and throw-ins to Chicago for Luol Deng (or possibly Ben Gordon), Andres Nocioni, Tyrus Thomas, Chris Duhon, and throw-ins

Chicago is looking for a post presence to free up their outside shooters—and this deal doesn't give it to them.

While Garnett can score from the high post, he has always been reluctant to get his hands dirty in the pivot. Also, minus Deng, the Bulls would be left with Gordon as their lone perimeter scoring threat.

Gordon may be shifty, but his lack of size hurts him when he's matched against elite defenders. With Deng and Nocioni no longer sharing the load, Gordon's effectiveness would drop.

Even with Garnett, the 2007-08 Bulls would still look a lot like last year's squad: plenty of perimeter scoring, not enough punch from the post.

This scenario is the least talked-about and also probably the least likely to happen.

Scenario Two: Garnett and throw-ins to Golden State for any number of players

While Garnett would no doubt love the freedom of "Nellie Ball," would he accept a trade to play gimmicky, helter-skelter basketball that's destined to fail in the playoffs? Isn't the sole purpose of Garnett changing addresses to allow him to pursue a ring?

It's unlikely Garnett would accept this trade.

Scenario Three: Garnett to Phoenix for Amare Stoudemire

This trade has disaster written all over it.

Garnett is accustomed to running his offense from the high post, where he patiently looks to pass, shoot, or drive. He's never been asked to be a decision-maker on the fly.

While Garnett has the athleticism to run with the Suns, his slow-paced mental game would prevent him from applying his talents to the system. Turnovers, mistakes, and fatigue would plague KG the moment he puts on a Phoenix jersey.

Stoudemire's premier skill, meanwhile, is to move without the ball and get in position to dunk. Without Steve Nash to get him the rock, that talent would be wasted.

Stoudemire's output has been a function of his strong supporting cast in Phoenix. Without Nash, Marion, Bell, and Co. to draw defenders, Stoudemire would be forced to create his own looks in traffic and his production would plummet.

This scenario would unquestionably make both teams worse. However, McHale has stated it's the only Garnett deal he d agree to.

It's that kind of ineptitude that has put a ceiling on the Timberwolves franchise for the last half-decade.

Scenario Four: Garnett and throw-ins to Los Angeles for Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and throw-ins

This is the trade that makes the most sense for each team.

Phil Jackson's triangle is the ideal offense to take advantage of Garnett s passing talents from the high postassuming the Lakers retool their roster with smart role players who can play on the move and hit open jumpers.

Right now, the only Lakers who can do either are Kobe and Luke Walton.

The deal also plays to Garnett's penchant for unselfishness and passivity—because he'd have Kobe to take all the big shots for him. The only time Garnett sniffed success in Minnesota was when Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell shouldered the load in the clutch.

Garnett has always been good enough to lead his teams to the playoffs, but never great enough to win postseason games on his own, the way legit superstars can. Garnett is not a franchise player—he's a Scottie Pippen: a perfect second option on a team that already has a go-to star.

Not only would Garnett be infinitely more relaxed playing second fiddle to Bryant his tremendous IQ and passing talents would be maximized by the system.

And if it doesn't work out, at least trading for Garnett would keep Kobe in Tinseltown....where the Lakers can keep profiting from his jersey sales.

As for the T-Wolves—Odom is an accomplished scorer in his own right, and has always been a good passer and rebounder. With the Minny offense running entirely through him, it's conceivable that Odom could put up 22, 10, and five.

And Bynum, if he continues to progress and develops a better work ethic, could become a 20-point scorer while averaging double-digit rebounds.

Yes the T-Wolves will probably be miserable the next few years, but it isn't as if they're going anywhere with Garnett on the roster. Bynum could conceivably be a top-tier center somewhere down the line. A draft pick develops, or a free agent comes aboard and three or four seasons from now the T-Wolves are ready to compete for a title.

Until then, the Wolves will be mired in mediocrity...with or without Garnett as their alpha-male. Only by moving KG can the Timberwolves expect to howl at a championship moon any time in the not-too-distant future.

 

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