Kevin Garnett won’t be purchasing the Timberwolves after all

Kevin Garnett announced on Instagram that his bid to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves is over.

This past summer, Minnesota Timberwolves majority owner Glen Taylor announced that he was exploring the possibility of selling the team to a new group. Most importantly, he wanted to sell the team to someone who would be willing to keep the team in Minnesota long-term. One of the more prominent names to show interest in purchasing the organization was former franchise great Kevin Garnett. While Garnett buying the Timberwolves would have been an amazing story, it ultimately was not in the cards.

On Thursday, Garnett revealed on his Instagram account that he and his group were informed that their pursuit of buying the Timberwolves “is over.” In his announcement, Garnett apparently took a jab at Taylor, thanking him “for being yourself in what I know you to be.”

Garnett’s full Instagram story post can be viewed in the tweet below:

Garnett could pursue opportunities elsewhere

Shortly after Garnett’s social media post went viral, Taylor told The Athletic that Garnett was never in on being a potential buyer for the Timberwolves.

“Kevin never contacted me at all saying that he was interested,” Taylor said, via The Athletic. “Nor was his name listed on any of the buying groups that asked for financial information to review.

While Garnett is not the biggest fan of Taylor, he was willing to negotiate a deal with the Timberwolves owner to purchase the team. As seen in the quote above, Taylor suggests that Garnett was not part of the equation and never received an offer from his group.

The Timberwolves drafted Garnett fifth-overall in the 1995 NBA Draft, and he became the best player in the franchise’s history. In his 14 years in Minnesota, Garnett was a 10-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA First Team, six-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, four-time rebounding champion and won the NBA MVP award in 2004. Overall, Garnett averaged 19.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 blocks with the Timberwolves.

Other individuals to show interest in purchasing the Timberwolves include former Memphis Grizzlies minority owner Daniel E. Straus and former NBA player Aaron Afflalo.

As for Garnett, he mentioned in his Instagram story that he will not stop his pursuit of purchasing a team, hinting at exploring expansion opportunities in Seattle and Las Vegas.