The Minnesota Timberwolves reached an agreement Friday with veteran forward Kevin Garnett to buy out the remaining year of his contract, league sources told the Star Tribune. Garnett signed a two-year, $16.5 million contract in February 2015 to reunite with his old coach Flip Saunders in hopes of reinvigorating the team, but after Saunders died unexpectedly of cancer that October, Garnett's expected role with the team changed.
Garnett was drafted fifth overall by the Timberwolves in 1995 and became the best player in Timberwolves franchise history, leading the team to eight straight playoff appearances from 1997 to 2005. After being traded to the Boston Celtics in 2007, he won his only championship with them in 2008. He returned to Minnesota after a brief turn with the Brooklyn Nets, hoping to reunite with Saunders — who coached him during his first stint with the team — and bring a championship to Minnesota. But Garnett was only able to appear in 43 games as his second run with the Timberwolves was limited by injury, though he was able to be a veteran mentor to the team's prized 2015 draft pick, center Karl-Anthony Towns.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
4 ways to give back this holiday seasonThe Explainer If your budget is feeling squeezed, remember that money is not the only way you can be generous around the holidays
-
4 tips for hosting an ecofriendly ThanksgivingThe Week Recommends Coming together for the holidays typically produces a ton of waste, but with proper preparation, you can have an environmentally friendly gathering.
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appeal
Speed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproarSpeed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain PrizeSpeed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 winsspeed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughterspeed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
