Jesse Johnson USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ re-acquisition of Kevin Garnett in February brought some much-needed buzz to the franchise, but he has not played since March 7 due to a knee issue as well as an illness and with two games to go he’s unlikely to suit up again this season.
Immediately after the trade was made, a report surfaced that the Timberwolves were considering signing Garnett for two more years past this season. Based strictly on the fact he’ll turn 39 in May keeping Garnett on the roster next season is a bad idea, even if he wants to own the team some day and the Timberwolves want to maintain some good will, to say nothing of a decline in production as he has averaged less than seven points per game in each of the last two seasons.
ESPN’s Marc Stein reported on Monday morning that Garnett is “still leaning toward” returning next season, which is not necessarily surprising based on how his time in Minnesota has gone this season. I was critical of any assumption that Garnett would step right in as a veteran leader for a young Timberwolves’ team, but now it’s getting to the point where he’s flirting with diminishing his legacy by hanging on too long.
I assume Garnett is situated very well financially, based on career earnings on the court of over $300 million, so he does not need to keep earning a NBA paycheck. The Timberwolves surely won’t have to break the bank to bring Garnett back on a one-year deal, but I also don’t expect him to agree to a contract that would have him making what he’s actually worth as a player either.
A pro athlete that knows when it’s time to retire is a rarity, as most don’t call it quits before the talent that made them great is basically gone, injuries become more frequent or severe and they are a shadow of that great player. We’ve already seen a big shadow of what Garnett was in his prime, which is tough enough for those of us that remember his days as one of the league’s best players.
I hope Garnett makes the right decision, which seems obvious to me right now, and calls it a career at some point over the next few months.
Brad Berreman is a Columnist/Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.
