New twists in Garnett talks

Kevin Garnett soon could become the newest member of the Celtics, multiple league sources said this afternoon, but two of the sources cautioned that any trade may not be as imminent as some early reports indicated.

As the trade currently stands, the Celtics would send Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, and two first-round picks to the Timberwolves for Garnett.

Al Jefferson is not included in the deal at the moment.

It is uncertain how the teams would deal with Garnett's trade clause that calls for a 15 percent salary increase.

As of this morning, there still remained issues on the table to negotiate, not the least of which is the player option worth $24 million that Garnett holds for the 2008-09 season.

“There are serious discussions in place,” Andy Miller, Garnett's agent, said this morning.

When asked about the option as well as Garnett’s willingness to play in Boston, Miller added: “Part of the discussion that is taking place is addressing those issues as well as others to see if the destination makes sense for all parties. Everything is part of the overall picture as to how to bring this to a conclusion or go in a different direction.”

When trade talks between Minnesota and Boston took place before this year’s draft, the option plus Garnett’s hesitancy to play in Boston, as relayed through his agent, were considerable sticking points. If Garnett agrees to take his player option as a condition of the trade, the Celtics also will likely look to come to reasonable terms on an extension as another condition of the deal.