Golden State Warriors

Kevin Garnett almost joined Warriors over Celtics

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

Sports Illustrated, SI Wire/Sports Illustrated

The 2007-08 NBA season could have been drastically different if a blockbuster trade took place.

A trade did take place, one that sent perennial All-Star forward Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Boston Celtics. Garnett, along with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce helped Boston bring home the franchise's first NBA title since 1986 that season.

But according to Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, Garnett was close to joining the Golden State Warriors, who were fresh off a first-round playoff upset of the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks.

"It was basically done," Mullin says to the Bleacher Report. "I was doing an extension with Andy Miller on Kevin Garnett's deal. KG liked Baron enough, and we had talked enough. He said, 'Yo, I'll do it.'"

Mullin, who was the Warriors vice president of basketball operations, says that a 2007 deal on draft night with the Timberwolves and the Charlotte Bobcats would have sent Garnett to the Warriors, guard Jason Richardson to Charlotte and draft picks and other assets to Minnesota.

Warriors owner Chris Cohan later vetoed the deal.

While the Celtics went on to win the title, the Warriors won 48 games in 2007-08 and missed the playoffs.

- Scooby Axson