MINNEAPOLIS -- Less than a week before the Minnesota Timberwolves open training camp, they still have not heard if franchise icon Kevin Garnett wants to follow Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant into retirement.No matter what Garnett chooses to do, it is becoming clear that the franchise that drafted him in 1995, the one that he hoped to take over one day, is preparing for life without him.As the Timberwolves have waited for Garnett to make his plans known, they have started discussing several scenarios of moving forward without the 40-year-old alpha wolf, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press late Wednesday. Those scenarios include a buyout of the final year of Garnetts contract and/or his retirement after 21 seasons in the NBA. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no agreements have been reached.This is not how it was supposed to go when Garnett returned to the Timberwolves in a trade with Brooklyn in 2015. Flip Saunders had helped mend the fences that were broken after Garnetts first exit from Minnesota in 2007, and the coach and the legend talked about Garnetts desires to one day get into ownership with the Wolves.Saunders died after a brief battle with Hodgkins lymphoma just before last season and the organization had to shift gears. Owner Glen Taylor brought in new leadership in Tom Thibodeau and Scott Layden, and a new vision was born out of sheer necessity.Saunders, who was both coach and president of the Wolves, signed Garnett to a two-year, $16.5 million contract last summer. His plan was to have Garnetts passion and work ethic serve as an example for one of the most promising young rosters in the league. KG could reach Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Gorgui Dieng on a different and more personal level that the coaches ever could.The plan worked, for the most part. Garnett bonded with the youngsters and was buoyed by their enthusiasm. And the pups soaked up his knowledge and gravitated to his charismatic personality, accentuated by a hilariously foul mouth and a penetrating stare that made them feel both respected and valued. The scene played over and over last season, practice coming to an end and Garnett pulling one or two of the youngsters aside to offer counsel on defending the pick-and-roll, communicating on the court or using their feet to play better ball.Towns was the rookie of the year and was seen wearing a throwback KG jersey in several public appearances this summer. Dieng benefited from a trick Garnett showed him that helped him cut down on the times he was called for traveling.But most of Garnetts best work with the team came in practices and on the team planes and buses, where he would hold court and impart wisdom. His balky knee held him to 38 games last season and only five after he made his emotional return to Minnesota in that trade deadline deal in 2015.When Saunders died, Garnett lost his biggest champion in the organization, and perhaps the salesman who could help him assemble a group to buy the Timberwolves from Taylor.League rules prevent Garnett and Taylor from discussing an ownership stake until KG retires. And with Saunders gone, Taylor was forced to look elsewhere for buyers. He negotiated with a group led by Memphis Grizzlies minority owner Steve Kaplan, but those talks stalled. So Taylor added two minority owners this summer to strengthen his financial position.It became clear that if Garnett wanted to buy in to the Timberwolves, he would have to take percentage so small that he would not have the influence and power that he initially envisioned. Garnetts competitive spirit and relative aversion to public appearances and interviews meant a role as a basketball ambassador similar to the one Grant Hill has taken on as a minority owner with Atlanta did not seem realistic.When Taylor decided to fire coach Sam Mitchell, a longtime Garnett confidante, and hire Thibodeau and Layden to set the franchise on a new course, it showed that KG did not have the power within the organization that he did as an MVP winner who led the Wolves to the Western Conference finals in 2004.Garnett is due $8 million this season. The Wolves also have Nikola Pekovic, a hulking center with chronic foot problems that have led the team to conclude he will be of little help on the court. Using two roster spots on big men who cant be counted on to play consistent minutes could be challenging for a team trying to end a 12-year playoff drought.The Timberwolves open training camp on Tuesday, and they still have not heard from Garnett despite repeated attempts to reach him.The silence may tell them all they need to know. Clearance Ray Ban Sunglasses . John Lucas, signed as a mentor for rookie Trey Burke, showed he can score if required, scoring 12 points of his 16 points in the second quarter as Utah built an 18-point lead. Ray Ban China . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. http://www.salerayban.com/ . "No difference at all," chirped U.S. roommate and linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Its still the same cranky Phil. Cheap RB From China . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. Ray Ban Sale Online . Defencemen Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and forward Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Canadians, who started their gold-medal defence 2-0. Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout. No one ever said it was going to be easy for Leicester City following their rags-to-riches story of last season, and the Premier League championship hangover coupled with a deeper division from top to bottom has made for some tough sledding during their title defence.The Foxes hope to jump start their season as they come out of the international break to play Saturday at Vicarage Road against Watford, who have quietly enjoyed life under first-year coach Walter Mazzarri.The infusion of television revenue into the Premier League has been both good and bad for Leicester City (3-3-5). It allowed Claudio Ranieri to keep almost his entire starting XI from last seasons title-winners save NGolo Kante, but it has also given the potential for every opponent to strengthen a roster -- a big team can afford more superstars while a newly promoted side can find quality depth for the right price.Those two factors, coupled with Leicester now lacking the element of surprise of their dynamic counterattacking style which proved to be the linchpin of their title run, have seen the Foxes play uneven throughout their domestic season and enter this match 14th in the table. It goes in stark contrast to having a surprisingly easy time moving to the cusp of qualifying for the knockout round in their first Champions League appearance in franchise history while not conceding in any of their four matches.Leicester City went into the break on the heels of a 2-1 loss to West Bromwich Albion that ended their home unbeaten streak at 20 matches. Islam Slimani had pulled the Foxes level on 55 minutes, but Matt Phillips provided the winning margin for the Baggies in the 72nd minute.It was difficult because the opponent is organised defensively and perhaps we didnt shoot enough, forward Shinji Okazaki told LCFC TV.Ranieri also made note of the defence affecting his offence, saying, We made a plan to go on the flank and make crosses from the flank but we made very few. Also the end we made some long balls and for the central defenders it was too easy. To say something is easy to do it is more difficult.For the Foxes, the big issue is the lack of rapid transition from defence to offence in open space. Kantes ability to thwart any buildup in the middle of the park and then find Riyad Mahrez in lightning-like fashion would trigger the open style of play that made Leicester City so deadly last season.The Foxes have only 13 league goals, with Jamie Vardy scoring two and Mahrez only one. Through the first 11 contests of 2015-16, Leicester had 22 ggoals -- with Vardy in the middle of his record-setting goal-scoring streak while scoring 10 and Mahrez contributing five.ddddddddddddBut there is cause for optimism since Vardy returns to the Midlands after scoring for England and drawing the penalty that led to the other goal in their 2-2 draw versus Spain in a friendly Monday. He has as many goals for country as he does club in all competitions as the focal point of every opponent Leicester City and England face.As Leicester City look the role of Jekyll and Hyde with their contrasting domestic and Champions League results, Watford (4-3-4) have quietly found an elevated perch behind the big six and enter this contest eighth in the table.Last seasons FA Cup semifinalists have punched at their weight class save their famous win over Manchester United, but before the break, Liverpool ran riot and administered a 6-1 thrashing on the Hornets at Anfield. Four of the goals came after starting goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was forced to leave through a leg injury suffered in the buildup of the second goal.Watford had shipped only 13 goals in their first 10 matches before being torn apart by Jurgen Klopps unorthodox arrangement that features seven midfielders all constantly on the lookout for an opportunity to press forward.This game is a lesson for the future, Mazzarri told the teams official website. I understand many things from this game and we will learn from this. I am convinced after the international break we will see a different performance.Gomes right now is questionable for this match, which leaves Costel Pantilimon in line for his first Premier League start of the season. The Romania international played well in a 1-0 loss to Russia in a friendly, making a string of quality saves before being let down by his defence deep in stoppage time.Like Leicester, Watford are missing offence from their dynamic duo of Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney. The duo, which combined for 28 goals in league play last season, has just four thus far, and Oghalo has found the back of the net just once. The Nigeria international has not scored since tallying against West Ham United on Sept. 10.Leicester City are 3-1-0 all-time in the top flight against Watford and took a pair of one-goal decisions last season. In the corresponding fixture, Mahrez let fly with a long-range strike in the 56th minute that accounted for the lone goal in a 1-0 Foxes victory. ' ' '