Kevin Garnett to retire after 21 NBA seasons

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Kevin Garnett have worked out an agreement that the veteran big man won't play for the team this season and a retirement announcement is expected shortly, a person with knowledge of the agreement confirmed to USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because there hasn't been an announcement.

Garnett's situation was first reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Garnett's agency ASM Sports basically confirmed when they tweeted "Thank you KG. Loved on & off the court, a role model & one of the most influential players to ever play the game."

From his two terms with the Minnesota Timberwolves (1995-07, 2014-16) to the Big Three era in Boston (2007-13) to his brief stay in Brooklyn (2013-15), Garnett, 40, ends his 21-year career as one of the most dominant power forwards in NBA history.

A handful of his accomplishments include:

(Statistics from regular season)

• 15 All-Star selections (tied for fourth all-time)
• 12 All-Defensive selections (nine First Team)
• 2003-04 NBA MVP (24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.2 blocks, 1.5 steals)
• 2007-08 NBA Champion
• 2007-08 Defensive Player of the Year
• 26,071 points scored (17th all-time)
• 50,418 minutes played (third all-time)
• 14,662 rebounds (ninth all-time)
• 11,453 defensive rebounds (first all-time)
• 1,462 games played (fifth all-time)

Drafted fifth by the T'Wolves in 1995, Garnett — who became the fourth player in league history to make the jump straight out of high school — quickly emerged as a franchise cornerstone in Minnesota, averaging 17 points, eight rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.1 blocks in his second year, leading the franchise to its first postseason appearance.

The Timberwolves went on to make eight consecutive playoff appearances during Garnett's first stint with the team, including a franchise-best 58-win season and a trip to the Western Conference finals in 2003-04.

Garnett was traded to the Celtics in the summer of 2007, joining forces with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. In their first year together, the triumphant trio led the Celtics to 66 regular season wins and ended a 21-year championship drought. After five more trips to the playoffs, including a Finals loss (2009-10) to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Celtics disassembled, and Garnett was sent to Brooklyn, where he averaged just 6.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in two subpar seasons with the team.

In February of 2015, Garnett waived his no-trade clause, setting up his long-awaited return to Minnesota, where he played just 43 games over 1 1/2 seasons thanks to nagging knee issues and 40-year-old frame. But back where it all began, he embraced his role as mentor for a young and talented team with Rookie of the Year winners Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.