National Basketball Association

Report: Garnett returning to Nets for 20th NBA season

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:21 p.m. ET

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The Brooklyn Nets say they have been operating under the assumption Kevin Garnett will return next season, his 20th in the NBA.

Looks like they assumed correctly.

ESPN reported Wednesday that the 38-year-old has indicated he will begin preparing for at least one more season, citing a league source. Nets general manager Billy King then confirmed the club's feelings to ESPN, telling the outlet he expects Garnett to begin training soon, and to be ready to play at a high level next season.

"I think he's preparing earlier this year than he did last summer," King told ESPN.

If Garnett does in fact play for another season, the 15-time All-Star with Minnesota and Boston will likely see his playing time heavily monitored, as it was last season. Garnett played in 54 games, averaging 6.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 20.5 minutes. He is set to make $12 million in the 2014-15 season. Paul Pierce, another former Celtic on the Nets' roster, is an unrestricted free agent. There’s no word yet on if Pierce will return.

Garnett was traded with Pierce and Jason Terry to Brooklyn in exchange for three first-round picks and five players last summer.

When asked whether he anticipates negotiations with Pierce will be difficult, King told ESPN:

"I will know come July 1. That is when everybody can start making offers and you get a feel for where the market is going to be. Right now you can speculate and have ideas of who may pay and what they may do but you don't know what somebody may do in the draft, make a trade. . . . If (free agents) leave, then we go to Plan B. Players leave and the organization has to be bigger than one player."