All good things must come to an end.  The Kevin Garnett Era seems to be coming to a close as sources have revealed that he is on the verge of being dealt to the Boston Celtics for the majority of their youthful roster.  Despite the fact that many tears will be shed in the Twin Cities over the next couple of days, perhaps these tears are long overdue.  Garnett poured his heart into the City of Minneapolis for a dozen years, and now it is time to send him to a situation where he can have instant success that has evaded him throughout his career.  As a sorority girl once told me: Don?t cry because it?s over, smile because it happened.    

Kevin Garnett has been the face of the Minnesota Timberwolves for the past twelve seasons.  We all know and love his story, and will initially cringe when we see him don the Celtic Green for the first time.  He was the first player taken directly out of high school in twenty years when the Timberwolves selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft.  He teamed with then-rookie Stephon Marbury in his second year to lead Minnesota to the postseason for the first time.  He led the squad to six straight playoff appearances without tasting the thrill of winning a single series.  In 2003-04, he teamed with a deadly pair of seasoned winners in Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell and reached his first Western Conference Finals all while winning his first league MVP award along the way.  After being two wins away from a near euphoric dance with destiny in the Finals, the team has been spinning down the drains to mediocrity, with nothing more than a defeated and exhausted look on the Face of their beloved Franchise.

While dealing the Leader of the Pack may seem like an apocalyptic catastrophe, this is ultimately the best case scenario not only for Kevin Garnett, but also for the Timberwolves franchise.  The current roster is plagued by long and similar untradable contracts that were given to players with identical skill sets.  That, coupled with foolish deals that sent future draft picks out for marginal players, and the massive salary of The Big Ticket ($22M next season), the Minnesota front office has had its hands tied and would enter the 2007-08 season with the fourth-highest payroll in the league, despite one of the least talented units on the floor.  This limited cap flexibility has hindered Kevin McHale?s ability to acquire enough assets to inject the culture of the squad with a winning attitude.  

The only solution to reviving this stagnant franchise would be to deal its most valuable player and longtime icon Kevin Garnett.  Fans have watched the scorn on the face of Garnett as he has recently endured losing season after losing season.  Now KG will get the opportunity to pair with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, two other players of significant stature with similar desires to reach their first NBA Finals.  In return, the Wolves will gain cap maneuverability and a glut of youthful talent and depth with which they can finally take a positive step toward building a new future for the franchise.  

Without a doubt, Kevin McHale will forever be remembered as the General Manager who dealt away one of the greatest players of this generation, and by far the greatest player in Minnesota?s brief history.  However, it is important to note that Garnett has already peaked as a Timberwolf, and that the franchise has reached a point of no return to the successes that it saw in the 2003-04 season.  With the talent in the Western Conference growing at exponential rates around them, Garnett?s contract doesn?t allow them to keep pace in this day in age when the NBA?s soft salary cap restricts them from bringing in complimentary free agent stars.  The limitations set forth by the Collective Bargaining Agreement mandate that the only way to facilitate a deal to bring players of great prominence to KG?s rescue would be to deal both financial and talent-equivalent assets in return.  The Wolves do not possess monetarily efficient roster resources to make this happen, hence the string of losing seasons that persist.

Once the Minnesota fan base is willing to move on and accept the departure of The Kid, they will look into their game programs and realize that they have a wealth of youthful talent on the floor that is not too far away from competing.  Already equipped with youthful standouts Randy Foye, Rashad McCants, Craig Smith and newly drafted Corey Brewer, this deal gives them four additional young players along with two future first round picks with which to build around.  

Sebastian Telfair and Gerald Green will be able to step in and provide athleticism and depth behind their already dynamic playmaking backcourt of Foye, McCants, Brewer and Ricky Davis.  They will also gain two former Celtic leaders in the paint by obtaining the ultra-talented 22-year old post presence in Al Jefferson, and the highly versatile and rugged Ryan Gomes to play alongside second year standout Craig Smith.  And the expiring contract of The Player Formerly Known as Theo Ratliff will give McHale nearly $11.7M in cap relief immediately next season.

While it may feel like the sky is falling now that The Kid is finally heading out of The North Star State, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic.  With eight solid young players under contract under the age of 25, the Timberwolves can take solace in the fact that they dealt away Kevin Garnett in a deal that will ultimately make him and the fans of Minnesota happy.  Kevin McHale has faced a lot of heat by holding onto The Big Ticket for far too long, but it looks like he may have played a Trump Card in this blockbuster deal.

Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts.  He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions.