Garnett’s remarkable six-year contract, valued at $126 million and inked in 1998, arguably had detrimental effects on both the Timberwolves and the broader NBA landscape.
It significantly contributed to the NBA’s 1998 lockout, compelling the league to eliminate 32 games per team and conduct a shortened 50-game season. Following Garnett’s extension, player compensations increased substantially. The rest of the league voiced their discontent.
Concurrently, the Timberwolves were compelled to restructure their team composition to manage the implications of such a substantial financial commitment.
However, considering the alternative, would Garnett have remained in Minnesota absent that significant financial package? And if his departure was inevitable, the Timberwolves likely would not have achieved their sole Western Conference Finals berth in 2004. Despite the contract’s drawbacks, it yielded substantial benefits for the Timberwolves.
