KG sheds some light

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Kevin Garnett was on the radio this afternoon with Mutt & Merloni, and as you'd imagine, the conversation eventually turned to the future.

Garnnett said he truthfully doesn't know what he's going to do about next year, indicating that if he did come back to play it would most likely be for Doc Rivers but that he also didn't want to "limit his options." In other words, don't hold your breath on an answer.

But there was one part of the interview that was particularly interesting.

In discussing the pros and cons of coming back next year, he said:

"I never wanted to be pieced around, or treated like a pawn, or a piece on the board. Loyalty in this game has been depleted on both sides. The business of this game is terrible for players. It's all over the place. I have to choose and make a decision to whether to be part of the future of that. I wish players would take more of a stand in our league and understand that it's a player's league."

Reading between the lines, here are two things I take from this quote:

1. While trade rumors are a part of life for every athlete, Garnett really didn't enjoy hearing his name thrown around at the deadline. Now maybe that's obvious; no one likes to hear their name in those discussions. But with KG, you get the sense that it went a little deeper. Even though, like everyone says "its just a business" and "a part of the game" it seems like KG would rather walk away than to ever experience another trade deadline like that. And that what he went through these past few months could have an effect on his decision to return.

2. The lockout may be more than four months in the rear view, but KG, who was clearly bitter about the fiasco when arriving at training camp last December, is still very much bitter. No doubt he's happy to be playing basketball, and enjoying this resurgence, but beneath the surface is a guy who's still pissed off about the state of the league, the men in charge and how they do business. You get the sense that at the end of the day, Garnett's decision might not solely come down health, but whether he even wants to be a part of the NBA.

Of course, that's just speculation.

For now, all we know for sure is that it's going to be a while before we get a real answer on what the future holds for Kevin Garnett.

Rich can be reached at rlevine@comcastsportsnet.com. Follow Rich on Twitter at http:twitter.comrich_levine

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