Written By Zach Bennett
Yesterday, word surfaced that the Minnesota Timberwolves will soon sign Kevin Garnett to a two-year, $16.5 million dollar contract. Subsequently, a scattered few voices throughout the twitterverse voiced displeasure in regards to the deal, claiming the $8.25 million per season is too much for a superstar well beyond his prime, and that there are more effective ways to utilize the roster spot. I’m sure there are some who think this is just another ruse to sell tickets — these would be the same folk who think this is why Garnett was brought back to Minnesota in the first place.
There are a few reasons why I really don’t have a problem with the Wolves signing Garnett to this deal.
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For starters: As business owners, Glen Taylor and Flip Saunders have every reason to try and sell as many tickets as possible. I’m sure both are plenty aware that lackluster crowds at Target Center have been the norm in recent years. Since 2010, the Wolves finished outside the bottom 10 franchises in home attendance only once (2012). Not even Wiggins and LaVine, later accompanied by Garnett, could bring fans out of the woodwork last season; only the lowly Philadelphia 76ers were less-popular in terms of the average turnout for home games.
It’s impossible to determine just how many will buy tickets to see Garnett specifically, and the Wolves, though young and unproven, should draw larger crowds during the next few years whether he’s on the roster or not. Neither Garnett nor the beloved Ricky Rubio participated in Wednesday’s glorified scrimmage that had fans standing in a lengthy line throughout the skyway for hours to attend. It’s safe to say that most were there to catch a glimpse of rookies Karl-Anthony Towns and Tyus Jones, as well as sophomores Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins, the 2014-15 Slam Dunk Champion and Rookie of the Year, respectively. Sure, admission was free, but perhaps the presence of 15,000 spectators indicates that the average, casual fan may believe the Wolves are headed in the right direction. If that doesn’t, the roughly 1,500 season tickets that have been sold since last season ended certainly does.
Perhaps the strongest argument against Garnett’s deal is the notion he is taking up a roster spot, and having someone such as Robbie Hummel or Lorenzo Brown would be a smarter idea. However, the Wolves roster is seemingly deep enough that neither Hummel, Brown or any other hypothetical option would see much playing time. Thus, if the ~$8 million going to Garnett this season wasn’t going to be spent elsewhere and doesn’t put the Wolves into the luxury tax, nobody should have too much of an issue with how Glen Taylor wants to spend his money. Yes, Garnett could put the Wolves in a tight spot by opting into the second year of the deal; however, if he wants to play in 2016-17 and cap room is needed to sign a free agent, he could just opt out and the two sides could come to terms on a new contract. At that juncture Anthony Bennett and Adreian Payne could be off the books, and Chase Budinger will no longer be under contract. If none of these three return next season, and Garnett opts into the second year of his deal, the Wolves would still have at least $15 million to spend during free agency.
Lastly, and most importantly, Garnett, though not the player he once was, is still somewhat of an effective, imposing presence at the defensive end. Albeit a small sample, the Wolves were at their best last season during the 98 minutes when he was on the floor, allowing just 93.8 points per 100 possessions. Comparatively, the Wolves overall defensive rating last season was almost 16 points higher — 109.6 points allowed per 100 possessions, a league worst. For those uninterested in such statistics who remain unconvinced that Garnett is a useful defender, this article may be more accommodating. As far as on-the-court contributions go, there’s also the unquantifiable aspect of Garnett’s mentorship role, which I’ve elected to not expound on (at least for now). Garnett’s teammates will almost certainly find his advice to be invaluable, as he is a long-time professional with championship experience.
I take no issue with professional athletes accepting any amount of money owners are willing to give them. Players taking less money to play for a winning team has nothing to do with character. Nor does going for max amount, as Jesse Blanchard writes.
Time will tell if his presence becomes a hinderance to the overall growth of the team, but it’s hard to put a price on what it means to have the greatest player in franchise history spend his final seasons with the Wolves. This is why Garnett is worth whatever money Taylor is willing to pay him, assuming it doesn’t mean missing out on a coveted free agent next summer.
