Kevin Garnett Told Celtics He Needs More Time to Decide on His Future

According to Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge, Kevin Garnett told him that he needs time to come to a decision regarding what he wants to do with basketball career going forward. From WEEI (via ESPN): “Despite a strong finish to his 17th season in the league, the 36-year-old Garnett is pondering retirement and needs time to make a decision about his basketball future. ‘Kevin and I had a good conversation last week and the conversation was mostly on how he needs time before he makes that decision,’ Ainge said. ‘I think we’ll talk within the next week, but I’m not so sure that’s a decision day for him. He may want to wait and see what sort of team we have. I’m not sure. I know that he wants to come back. I know he likes Boston, and I know he loves playing for (coach) Doc (Rivers). He loves everything about the team and the city and so forth. I think that his decision will be, ‘Do I really want to play? Or do I not want to play.’ If Garnett needs additional time for a decision, it puts Boston in a tough spot with both the NBA draft approaching later this month and cap space tied up in holds for Garnett and Ray Allen when free agency opens in early July. ‘It is complicated and the timing is complicated. Juggling all these different scenarios is difficult,’ Ainge said. ‘But the reality is that, on July 1, Kevin Garnett is on our books for $21 million until we either sign him to a new contract, or renounce him, which means we can’t re-sign him. Otherwise, it really limits our cap space.’ Ainge admitted that renouncing Garnett — or any of Boston’s big-name free agents such as Allen, Brandon Bass, or Jeff Green — is unlikely. Ainge hinted that re-signing the team’s own free agents, particularly with a slim pool of available bodies on the open market, might be the team’s best approach this offseason. But it all starts with Garnett, and Ainge understands why he is weighing the decision to possibly walk away.”