Trading Garnett

There is a rumour that Kevin Garnett, my favourite NBA player, is going to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, mainly to make Kobe Bryant happy and hope that he would rescind his repeated trade requests.

Personally I don't want to see it happen. I want Garnett to go to the team he desperately wants to go to (the Phoenix Suns) and in return, allow the Minnesota Timberwolves to have some much-needed high draft choices (Boston Celtics' number 5?), great and promising players (the Suns' Amare Stoudemire or the Celtics' Al Jefferson) and lots of cap room (how about $20m?) to sign at least one very good player.

I just don't like Bryant. His selfishness and non-stop complaints are the main reasons why the Lakers have never won anything since he forced out Shaquille O'Neal in 2004. While he is arguably the best player in the NBA right now, his one-man crusade has and will not take his team very far.

Garnett though is the antithesis of Bryant. He has been playing for the T'wolves (in frigid Minnesota of all places) since being drafted out of high school in 1995. Long being hailed for his leadership quality, he seldom complains about his team's inexcusable inability to sign or trade for quality players (they even lost five first-round draft picks in that Joe Smith mess in 2000). He just goes out and plays hard every single night, and to watch him not being able to lead his team far into the post-season is heart-breaking for all true basketball fans.

So we understand why he wants out (though he never says so in public), and we all want to see him go to a good team (the Suns is fun to play and watch). As for Bryant, who cares? His incessant complaints have definitely soured his relationship with team owner Jerry Buss and General Manager Mitch Kupchak. And no one will be surprised to see him leave the Lakers after next season even with Garnett on board.

And would Garnett want to remain a Laker with Bryant gone? No way.

So please, don't trade Garnett to the Lakers. He may be an instant gate attraction for the Lakers, but it is also definitely a disaster in-the-making.