The Nets have done what likely every team in the NBA has done this week: Put in a call to the Celtics about the availability of Kevin Garnett.
A league source confirmed Tuesday the Nets have inquired about whether Garnett would be available in a trade in the wake of the Celtics losing coach Doc Rivers to the Clippers and seemingly heading for a full-on roster rebuild and potentially the end of the Big Three Era in Beantown.
Garnett undoubtedly would fill a hole for the Nets at power forward, as well as providing an intimidating defensive presence alongside All-Star center Brook Lopez and giving Jason Kidd one of the NBA’s most respected locker-room presences to aid him in his first season as a head coach. But it’s unclear whether Garnett would be willing to waive his complete no-trade clause for a trade to the Nets — or whether the Celtics would be willing to deal him to a division rival.
The same likely goes for Paul Pierce, who also is expected to be on the trading block. The Celtics have until the end of the month to decide whether to buy out of the final year of Pierce’s $15.2 million contract for $5 million. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said in a news conference yesterday no decision has been made on the future of Garnett or Pierce.
A Nets package for either future Hall of Famer would most likely feature the $12 million expiring contract of Kris Humphries.
Since talk about Rivers heading to the Clippers began, it was expected Garnett, and possibly Pierce, would wind up joining him in Los Angeles. After the negotiations became public, the NBA ruled yesterday the Celtics and Clippers are not allowed to exchange players for the remainder of the 2013-14 season, because players and coaches are not allowed to be included in the same transaction. Rivers will be introduced as the Clippers’ head coach and senior vice president of basketball operations today.
The Nets will hold the final draft workout at their New Jersey practice facility today. The headline name among the six players who are scheduled to attend is Louisville center Gorgui Dieng, who anchored the Cardinals’ defense on their way to the national championship.
The other players expected to participate are Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas and four local products: Miami guard Durand Scott, who starred at Rice High School; USC guard Jio Fontan, who began his collegiate career at Fordham after playing high school ball with Nets guard Tyshawn Taylor at St. Anthony High School in Jersey City; St. Bonaventure forward Demetrius Conger and Division III Farmingdale State center A.J. Matthews, both of whom are Brooklyn natives.
LONDON CALLING
The Nets will be trading the Brooklyn Bridge for London Bridge for a few days next season.
For the second time in three years, the Nets will travel to London for a regular-season game, this time facing the Hawks on Jan. 16 at O2 Arena — the same venue where Nets star Deron Williams won his second Olympics gold medal last year.
“It always is an honor to represent the league overseas,” Williams said in a statement. “Playing in London has a playoff-like intensity, and the energy in the building is great for the players on both teams. It should be very exciting.”
The NBA said the game would be a home game for the Hawks, meaning that the Nets will still have 41 games at Barclays Center.
tbontemps@nypost.com