As the Celtics’ season inches toward its close, it also means the team soon needs to make a decision on its future. For a while now, there have been rumors that the Celtics will conduct a fire sale of sorts, splitting up what at one point was its Big Three (Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, for those who haven’t been keeping score at home) in an effort to get younger.

But according to someone close to Garnett, KG might not even be available for the Celtics to offer on the table to anybody interested. Here’s more, from NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner:

But at least one league source who knows Garnett well thinks a proud, strong exit and, as they say in show biz, a chance to leave ‘em wanting more might be his plan. “I think that’s what we’ve been seeing in these playoffs,” the friend of Garnett said. “The way he’s been playing, it’s like he wants to go out on his terms.”

Garnett, whose contract is up this summer, has already been named in a potential signing with the Lakers (a gossipy nugget slung by Screamin’ A. Smith), which should totally thrill Celtics fans. There’s also been reports that the Nets would be interested in the 36-year-old.

But right now it’s hard envisioning KG anywhere else but Boston. He’s transformed from a Timberwolves transplant to a Celtic at heart. He’s shown he can still play. He’s shown he can still be the KG that can be a real tool. And it wouldn’t be surprising if he doesn’t want to display his skills and bravado in anything but a Celtics jersey.

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Kevin Garnett is currently the fourth-highest salary earner in the NBA, but he’ll be a free agent after the season and likely to sign for far less than the $21.2 million he’s making. There have been reports that the Nets will be interested in signing him, and it’s possible he and the Lakers could come to an agreement.

During an interview with Mark Willard on 710 ESPN Radio in LA over the weekend, Stephen A. Smith discussed the possibility of KG signing with the Lakers and said that’s something the team should explore.

Smith pointed out that Garnett lives in Southern California in the offseason and that he’s friends with Kobe Bryant, so he believes it’s a possibility, especially if Pau Gasol is gone.

Strengthening the speculation is Garnett’s admission last year that he was pretty close to signing with the Lakers as a free agent in 2007.

Smith also says the Lakers would consider bringing back Lamar Odom. He says Odom “desperately” wants back with the Lakers, and that Mike Brown desperately wants him too. Smith says Odom would take the veteran minimum to return to the Lakers.

There were some other good nuggets in the interview such as the confirmation that Dwight Howard doesn’t want to come to Lakers, and the belief that Deron Williams will strongly consider remaining with the Nets.

KG is still an asset and will be able to help a team for at least another season, so it would make sense for the Lakers to be interested. I just know that wouldn’t sit well with Boston fans if he left to go play for the enemy, but it’s not like they haven’t seen that before.

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