Garnett is traded to Celtics in a seven-for-one swap

Kevin Garnett was traded Tuesday by the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Boston Celtics, in a seven-for-one swap, the NBA’s biggest for one player.

The Celtics sent the Timberwolves forwards Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green, guard Sebastian Telfair and center Theo Ratliff, two first-round draft picks and cash considerations. Ratliff is 34, the other four are 22 or younger.

With Paul Pierce and Ray Allen already on the roster, the Celtics have been transformed from a promising collection of youngsters who had the NBA’s second-worst record last season into a contender in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics have 16 championships but have gone without one for more than two decades.

“I am excited to become a Celtic,” said Garnett, 31, a former most valuable player and a 10-time All-Star. “It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to play with players the quality of Paul and Ray.”

The Timberwolves get the Celtics’ first-round pick in 2009, unless it is among the top three, and a return of Minnesota’s conditional first-round draft pick obtained in January 2006 when they sent Ricky Davis to the Timberwolves for Wally Szczerbiak. Minnesota also receives cash considerations in the deal.

The teams discussed a trade for the 6-foot-11 Garnett, the NBA’s top rebounder each of the last four seasons, before the June draft. In a story on the Boston Globe’s website, Garnett dispelled notions that he didn’t want to go to Boston, and acknowledged he had interest in Phoenix and the Lakers but was leery of Kobe Bryant’s contract situation.

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TENNIS

Davenport to play singles in tournament in Bali

Lindsay Davenport will return to singles for the first time in a year at a September tournament in Bali, with plans for a limited schedule in 2008 leading to the Beijing Olympics.

Davenport, who gave birth to a son in June, is scheduled to play Sept. 10, organizers of the Wismilak International said.

Davenport, a former No. 1 player, has not competed on the WTA Tour since reaching the Beijing quarterfinals in September 2006.

Tim Henman double-faulted on match point in a third-set tiebreaker, handing John Isner a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win in the first round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic at Washington. . . . Sergio Roitman beat third-seeded Juan Ignacio Chela, 6-1, 6-2, in the first round of the Orange Prokom Open at Sopot, Poland. . . . Top-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues defeated Sandra Kloesel, 6-3, 7-6 (5), in the first round of the Nordic Light Open at Stockholm.

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CYCLING

Doping expert claims Contador was not clean

German authorities said they have received documents from doping expert Werner Franke that claim Tour de France winner Alberto Contador of Spain was involved in doping.

Franke said he has documents from last year’s Operation Puerto doping investigation in Spain that show that Contador had taken HMG-Lepori as a testosterone booster and an asthma product called TGN.

Contador said Saturday his name mistakenly turned up in the Puerto file. He hasn’t failed a doping test.

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MISCELLANY

WNBA does well in diversity study

The WNBA had more male head coaches last season than ever an annual diversity study of the league by Richard Lapchick shows.

There were only 15 female assistant coaches in 2006, the lowest total since the league’s first few seasons and down from 17 the previous year. The number of female vice presidents dipped from 23 in 2005 to 18 in 2006.

More WNBA teams were hiring men in several areas. Only three head coaches were women in the 2006 season, the lowest total ever. The study downgraded the league slightly because there were fewer opportunities for women. The league got an A for race but slipped to a B-plus for gender.

Tony Stewart was fined $25,000 and docked 25 points by NASCAR for cursing during his interview on ESPN on Sunday after winning the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Jermain Taylor (27-0-1, 17 knockouts) will defend his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Organization middleweight titles against Kelly Pavlik (31-0, 28 KOs) on Sept. 29 in Atlantic City, N.J.

Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana will receive a lifetime achievement award from the Harold Pump Foundation at a dinner at the Beverly Hilton on Thursday night. The event benefits the Harold Pump Oncology Department and Carol Pump Women’s Center at Northridge Hospital Medical Center.

The USC men’s basketball team will open its 2007-08 season against Mercer at the Galen Center on Nov. 10 and will play national powerhouse Memphis on Dec. 4 in the Jimmy V Classic in New York.

The game against Memphis ends a punishing three-game stretch that also includes games against Oklahoma on Nov. 29 and Kansas on Dec. 2, both at the Galen Center.

USC opens Pacific 10 Conference play at California on Jan. 3 and plays UCLA on Jan. 19 at Pauley Pavilion and Feb. 16 at the Galen Center.

The Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team will play at Arizona on Nov. 28, the Titans’ first visit to Tucson since Coach Lute Olson’s first season in 1983-84.