Jason Terry reveals how Kevin Garnett almost blew up the Celtics’ trade with Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets over loyalty

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/jason-terry-reveals-kevin-garnett-185358136.html



Jason Terry reveals how Kevin Garnett almost blew up the Celtics’ trade with Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets over loyalty



Justin Quinn
Sun, February 27, 2022, 10:53 AM



The course that set the Boston Celtics down their current path as nascent title contenders at the midpoint of the 2021-22 NBA season can be traced back to the fateful decision of then-team president Danny Ainge making the decision to trade away his 2007-08 title core to the Brooklyn Nets.


But, unbeknownst to most of the world, the trio of stars the Celtics sent to the Nets might not have happened had the original plan for the trade been insisted on by Brooklyn or Ainge. The deal, which sent Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry to the Nets along with DJ White for salary matching purposes was very nearly vetoed by Garnett out of concern for Terry, according to the Arizona product in a recent interview with the Celtics Wire.

Terry explained how he was not part of the original package planned to be sent to Brooklyn, and was only added after Garnett threatened to block the trade without the inclusion of the JET (as Terry is sometimes called).


“Originally, I was not in that trade,” explained the former Boston shooting guard. “The Celtics wanted me to stay and come back and finish my deal out with them and continue to build.”

“But, KG just said, ‘Hey, man — JET’s at a point in his career, he can’t go through that. He doesn’t deserve that. Don’t put Courtney Lee in the deal. Put JET in the deal. Let him come with us to Brooklyn so we can chase this championship.’ And I just thought for a guy that has accomplished a lot in his career, he didn’t have to do that. But he felt so passionate about me and my career, and he understood where I was at that … he was willing to rescind the trade had they not put me in it, and so I forever thanked him for that.”

“Our time there in Brooklyn was short, but again, surrounded by Hall of Famers, being able to play with my friend and Hall of Fame teammates,” finished Terry.


It’s hard to imagine what the team’s rebuild would have been like with both Rajon Rondo and Terry both still on the team.

The Celtics only “tanked” for one season under new head coach (and now team president) Brad Stevens, and would have likely had a lesser draft pick as a result, perhaps radically reshaping the path Boston would have taken.

But the Arizona product’s account of how Garnett used his influence (and no-trade clause) to help a friend and teammate not have to find himself stuck on a rebuilding team fills in the gaps of the same tale we have heard told from other perspectives as well.


Bob
MY NOTE:  I did not think it was possible my admiration of Kevin Garnett could grow any more than it already was.  I was wrong.


.

bobheckler wrote:https://www.yahoo.com/sports/jason-terry-reveals-kevin-garnett-185358136.html



Jason Terry reveals how Kevin Garnett almost blew up the Celtics’ trade with Paul Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets over loyalty



Justin Quinn
Sun, February 27, 2022, 10:53 AM



The course that set the Boston Celtics down their current path as nascent title contenders at the midpoint of the 2021-22 NBA season can be traced back to the fateful decision of then-team president Danny Ainge making the decision to trade away his 2007-08 title core to the Brooklyn Nets.


But, unbeknownst to most of the world, the trio of stars the Celtics sent to the Nets might not have happened had the original plan for the trade been insisted on by Brooklyn or Ainge. The deal, which sent Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry to the Nets along with DJ White for salary matching purposes was very nearly vetoed by Garnett out of concern for Terry, according to the Arizona product in a recent interview with the Celtics Wire.

Terry explained how he was not part of the original package planned to be sent to Brooklyn, and was only added after Garnett threatened to block the trade without the inclusion of the JET (as Terry is sometimes called).


“Originally, I was not in that trade,” explained the former Boston shooting guard. “The Celtics wanted me to stay and come back and finish my deal out with them and continue to build.”

“But, KG just said, ‘Hey, man — JET’s at a point in his career, he can’t go through that. He doesn’t deserve that. Don’t put Courtney Lee in the deal. Put JET in the deal. Let him come with us to Brooklyn so we can chase this championship.’ And I just thought for a guy that has accomplished a lot in his career, he didn’t have to do that. But he felt so passionate about me and my career, and he understood where I was at that … he was willing to rescind the trade had they not put me in it, and so I forever thanked him for that.”

“Our time there in Brooklyn was short, but again, surrounded by Hall of Famers, being able to play with my friend and Hall of Fame teammates,” finished Terry.


It’s hard to imagine what the team’s rebuild would have been like with both Rajon Rondo and Terry both still on the team.

The Celtics only “tanked” for one season under new head coach (and now team president) Brad Stevens, and would have likely had a lesser draft pick as a result, perhaps radically reshaping the path Boston would have taken.

But the Arizona product’s account of how Garnett used his influence (and no-trade clause) to help a friend and teammate not have to find himself stuck on a rebuilding team fills in the gaps of the same tale we have heard told from other perspectives as well.


Bob
MY NOTE:  I did not think it was possible my admiration of Kevin Garnett could grow any more than it already was.  I was wrong.


.

Jason is doing a lot of talking for someone who couldn’t or wouldn't speak up for himself back then.

I would not look at it like that, he just is showing his admiration of KG and how loyal a guy he really is. His reaction to Ray Allen is proof of that, he felt as if Ray at least owed them a conversation, but he quit, walked away, and, as far as I am concerned, took the easy way out of shoving it to Danny by going to the one team, run by the one guy Danny could not stand. All Terry was doing is showing admiration of a friend.

I get his admiration for KG. If true i have more admiration for KG now even more as well. Terry lives here in Dallas and is very visible on radio and TV. Jason talks a lot which is the one thing I always liked about him but I have never heard Terry talk about any of this before and I haven’t heard KG or Tatum sign off on it so I don’t put much stalk in all of it. Not saying he is lying but may be embellishing a bit.
As for Ray, I didn’t like the fact that he went to Miami but his leaving didn't bother me as much. After all, Danny had opportunity to sign him to an extension on more than one occasion and dragged it out. On top of that, knowing that he was almost traded to Memphis for OJ Mayo and when that fell through he kept hearing his name in trade rumors after that as well. The team also wanted to permanently replace him in the starting line up with Avery Bradley.
Pile that on any employee and they’re going to feel unwanted and more than likely are going to seek employment elsewhere.
It wasn’t until Riley made that offer to Ray that Danny came with an offer comparable or for additional money but by then the dye had been cast.
As I said, him going to Miami was a move that I detested and pissed me off too.
Once the entire picture became clearer to me, I couldn’t much blame him for wanting to go elsewhere. Yeah, he could have gave his mates a heads up but I suspect that they were not on the best of terms.