Kevin Garnett, the National Basketball Association's Most Valuable Player in 2003-04, is heading to the Boston Celtics after spending his first 12 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Celtics and Timberwolves agreed today on a trade that brings the 10-time All-Star to Boston in exchange for five players: centre Theo Ratliff, forwards Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green, and guard Sebastian Telfair.

Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss, said: "Kevin has been the consummate professional player in the NBA and a player that I marvelled at over the years,"

Celtics coach Doc Rivers added: "He has drive, passion and a hunger to win that is unmatched across the league."

The 6-foot-11 forward, who was drafted by Minnesota out of high school in 1995, had the longest tenure with one team of any player in the NBA. Garnett averaged 20.5 points and 11.4 rebounds during his career.

He's the second All-Star in the last month to join the Celtics, whose 24-58 record last season was the second-worst in the NBA. Boston acquired 32-year-old shooting guard Ray Allen, a seven-time All-Star, in June for the fifth pick in this year's draft.

Garnett and Allen join a lineup featuring All-Star swingman Paul Pierce, who has averaged 23.6 points over his nine-year career with the Celtics.

Garnett, Allen and Pierce combined to average 73.8 points a game last season. The Celtics have won an NBA-best 16 championships, though none since 1986.

Garnett had been the subject of trade talks since last season, when he averaged 22.4 points and 12.8 rebounds a game. He was linked with the Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors before the draft.

The fifth pick in the 1995 draft, Garnett made an immediate impact in the league and paved the way for other high school players to go directly into the NBA without going to college.

Minnesota was coming off its fourth straight 60-loss season the year before Garnett was drafted and made its first playoff appearance in his second season.

Garnett helped lead the Timberwolves to eight straight postseason appearances and was named the league's MVP in 2003- 04, when Minnesota reached the Western Conference Finals and finished two wins short of playing for the championship. Minnesota missed the playoffs the last three seasons.

Garnett has averaged at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists for the last nine seasons, the longest such run in NBA history. Larry Bird and

Wilt Chamberlain both put up those numbers for six straight seasons, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Charles Barkley did it for five consecutive years.