Before the Timberwolves traded Kevin Garnett to Boston, the all-star forward sought a $60 million, three-year contract extension from the Wolves.

"If he wanted $12 million, $12 million and $12 million instead, I would have signed him," Wolves owner Glen Taylor said Thursday.

Garnett already was signed with Minnesota for $22 million this season and $23 million next year. As part of his deal with the Celtics, he received the $60 million, three-year extension he sought, guaranteeing him, at age 31, $105 million over the next five years. Included was an $8 million up-front payment.

During a six-week period leading up to the Garnett trade, an eight-member Wolves committee met five times to discuss franchise strategy that included whether to trade Garnett. Members were Taylor, Kevin McHale, Rob Moor, Randy Wittman, Fred Hoiberg, Jim Stack, Rob Babcock and Zarko Durisic.

Moor, the team's CEO, ran the meetings. Taylor represented just one vote.

"Everyone came to the same conclusion; it wasn't a one-man decision," Taylor said. "We all pitched in and wrote viewpoints. We talked about what had happened the last three years, then where we wanted to go. We listened to Randy a lot about the type of coach he needs to be, how he would run things, and looked at options and alternatives.

"If there was going to be a trade, there would have to be draft choices, young players and there had to be (salary) cap room for the future. There would not be a trade unless there could be all three of those things, and there had to be a team willing to pay that."