Kevin McHale and Glen Taylor have publicly said that they will not trade Kevin Garnett, but a league source tells Newsday otherwise.

"I think they're shopping him," a league source said.

Kevin McHale will remain with the Timberwolves, but he will have less power than he has enjoyed in the past.  Owner Glen Taylor will play a more active role.

"In the past, I have pushed [decision-making] back on McHale," Taylor said. "This time we'll do it more as a team. ... I have a habit of trusting people, and trusting scenarios when I'm told things. I'm very good when I've gotten involved. But I have been successful by trusting other people, giving them the flexibility to make difficult decisions. But when it hasn't worked, I've gotten involved.

"The last couple years, what we planned to do hasn't worked, at least from my viewpoint. What we always did was look to spend the money to get a good team. We had a free agency market, then we wrote down the type of player we needed. ... This year, when I talked to [McHale], I said, 'We have to look at what we did. It doesn't appear just spending the money is solving the problem.'"

Taylor wants the Wolves' expanded front office -- which includes general manager Jim Stack and assistant GMs Fred Hoiberg and Rob Babcock -- to have more input. Taylor said McHale is fine with returning and working with more of a team approach. A team spokesman said McHale would not be available for comment.

Bloomberg News reported Friday that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is open to trading Kevin Garnett, a statement that probably creates more smoke than fire.

But the quotes from Taylor don't reveal anything the owner hasn't said in the past.

Taylor told Bloomberg: "I certainly don't think you never say never. I wouldn't close the door to it."

That's consistent with Taylor's stance in the past.

During the preseason, Taylor told the Pioneer Press regarding the idea of rebuilding the team without Garnett: "I wouldn't want to say to you it wouldn't happen. ... I'm saying I don't see that because I want to win. But if you say to me, is there a circumstance? Yeah, if we just decide to go all young. ... I'm not interested in doing that (going young), but that's still something you have to think about if things don't work out."

According to Sid Hartman, longtime columnist in the Twin Cities area reports there are rumors that Kevin Garnett recently talked to owner Glen Taylor about a contract extension.

Garnett is signed through next season, then becomes a free agent.

On Thursday, Kevin McHale said that Randy Wittman will remain head coach of the Timberwolves and that he doesn't plan on trading Kevin Garnett.

Minnesota finished the season 32-50 and missed out on the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

"We're going to try to make some trades," he said.

"It was a bad season," McHale added. "There's no other way you can say it. It starts with me."

General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Coach Phil Jackson spoke to about 900 season-ticket holders Monday night at the team's annual "town-hall meeting."

One fan asked if the Lakers might be able to acquire Kevin Garnett this offseason.

Neither Kupchak nor Jackson answered it directly, citing league tampering rules, although Kupchak did eventually say that, generally speaking, "You've got to trust myself and Dr. [Jerry] Buss that we'll do everything to get a top player."

Garnett is not a free agent, but he can opt out of his contract after next season.

Of the three teams fighting for the final two positions in the Western Conference playoff race, it's the one with the longest postseason drought that has the most momentum.

Golden State hosts Minnesota on Sunday, hoping to continue its recent surge as it tries to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years.

The Warriors (39-40) are in a tie for the eighth seed in the West with the Los Angeles Clippers, who host Sacramento on Sunday. Those teams are a half-game behind the seventh-place Lakers, who host Seattle.

Randy Wittman says he believes Kevin Garnett is not trying to send a message to the organization with his decision to sit out due to a quad injury.

"There's no indication to me that that's why he's shutting it down," Wittman said. "He's a guy that wants to play, there's no question about that.

"He's got more heart than anybody else that I've seen of wanting to play and play every game like it's his last. I respect guys if they do have that mentality. It's not an exhibition game where you play one quarter and sit a quarter. This is the regular season."

The announcement regarding Garnett's status came less than 48 hours after the Wolves were eliminated from playoff contention.

Kevin Garnett is out indefinitely with a right quad injury.  He and his agent decided it was time to shut it down and seek a second opinion before going forward.

Kevin McHale said Garnett will visit doctors in the next day or two and will miss at least two of the team's five remaining games. They will wait to see what the doctors say before Garnett decides if he will return at all this season.

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said plans are already being made for next year with Kevin McHale, Jim Stack, Fred Hoiberg and Rob Babcock completing their scouting of the NCAA tournaments.

Taylor made it very clear Saturday night that McHale wants to come back for next season, and also didn't say he would stop that from happening.