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Kevin Garnett "preparing earlier this year than he did last summer"

By Net Income
Chris Trotman

Billy King did everything but say Kevin Garnett is in camp Wednesday, sealing the books on a story that many thought wouldn't happen: KG is not retiring, not leaving $12 million on the table. but will instead play again next season, his 20th in the NBA.  Garnett will become on the fourth player in NBA history to hit the 20 year mark, joining Kevin Willis, Robert Parrish and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

"Yes," Billy King said when asked if he believes Kevin Garnett will be able to play at a high level next season. "I think he's preparing earlier this year than he did last summer." King's comments all but ended speculation about KG's return.

Garnett, in mostly a back-up role last season, averaged only six points and six rebounds in a little more than 20 minutes per game, a career low.  While there had been some speculation that KG could retire --and ask for $6 million as a contract buyout-- Tim Bontemps, Chris Mannix and Marc Stein all wrote before today's news that the seven-footer was leaning towards staying in Brooklyn.

King has said he wants as much continuity as possible and with Garnett and Andrei Kirilenko now comfortably back in the fold, the Nets GM moves on to re-signing Paul Pierce and Shaun Livingston.

"I will know come July 1," King told Nets writers Wednesday. "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."

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