DALLAS (AP) – Jason Kidd appears headed back to where his career began, rejoining the Dallas Mavericks in the latest Western Conference megatrade.
Kidd is the centerpiece of a proposed deal between the Mavericks and New Jersey. Various media reports say Dallas will send emerging point guard Devin Harris, veteran Jerry Stackhouse and reserves DeSagana Diop, Devean George and Maurice Ager to the Nets, with forward Malik Allen going from New Jersey to the Mavericks.
The details still were being worked out, but Nets coach Lawrence Frank already was talking about life without his All-Star point guard.
“I love him. He’s a very special person, but it’s time for both him and the organization to part ways,” Frank said before the Nets’ game in Toronto.
be receiving some very good players as well and a new era of Nets basketball will start because Jason is that significant a player.”
Kidd was with the Nets in Toronto, but didn’t talk to the media before the game. He and Allen were both inactive, along with reserve Antoine Wright.
In Dallas, coach Avery Johnson was much more guarded with his comments, saying: “I haven’t heard of any trade that’s been completed. Now it’s speculation.” Team owner Mark Cuban said he would talk only “if there’s something to talk about.”
George was in the starting lineup against Portland and Diop was active, too. Harris, Stackhouse and Ager were inactive, but that’s because Harris and Stackhouse are hurt and Ager is in the NBDL.
Still, before the game, Stackhouse talked openly about moving on – or, rather, not going anywhere. He indicated the Nets would buy out his contract, enabling him to re-sign with Dallas in a month.
“Getting bought out, if that happens, my first choice would be to come back to Dallas. I’m settled in, just bought a house,” he said.
Stackhouse added he’s only part of the trade “to make the numbers work.”
out in the first round.
Mavs officials have been reluctant to shake up their roster, but a recent slump and the moves by conference rivals may have helped change their minds. It’s worth noting that while Cuban has a reputation of being a wheeler-dealer, Kidd would be the first front-line player he’s traded for since getting Antoine Walker in October 2003.
“I think Devin has a lot of upside, but Jason Kidd is the type of all-league point guard our teams needs,” Stackhouse said. “We just need a jolt. Adding a player like him can re-energize a team, hopefully.”
Dallas and New Jersey were in serious talks about Kidd earlier this month. Stackhouse said it was almost nailed down Tuesday night, then called off, only to be revived again Wednesday morning.
The West is as competitive and deep as it’s been in years, with several upstarts joining the perennial powers. The Lakers got the trade game going by plucking Pau Gasol from Memphis, then last week Phoenix traded for Shaquille O’Neal. San Antonio also has added point guard Damon Stoudamire to its rotation.
Dallas (34-17) was tied with the Lakers for the third-best record in the West going into Wednesday night’s game against Portland, but was coming off two ugly losses – one against Kidd and the Nets on Sunday – and has yet to play up to Johnson’s expectations for long stretches. Their recent slide was partly because Harris has been out with an ankle injury.
“It’s been kind of stagnant all season,” Stackhouse said. “I think you just try to find the right piece. Maybe this is the right piece that really helps our team, that gets our scorers easy opportunities. Getting Pau or Shaq wouldn’t have helped that case. Getting a point guard, that gets you easy opportunities. It solves that issue for us.”
Kidd broke into the league in 1994-95 when Dallas made him the third overall pick. He was voted co-Rookie of the Year, but the club was such a mess it was better known as the Mav-wrecks. In fact, it was the trade of Kidd to the Phoenix Suns in December 1996 that convinced ownership to lure Don Nelson out of retirement, a hire that ultimately put Dallas back among the NBA’s elite clubs.
He went to New Jersey before the 2001-02 season, then led the Nets to the NBA finals in each of his first two seasons. But they haven’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs since. With the club well under .500, he’s been looking to get traded for months.
Although Kidd turns 35 on March 23, he’s still among the league’s best point guards. He has 12 triple-doubles this season and 99 for his career. He got his last against Charlotte on Feb. 8.
He’s averaging 11.3 points, 10.4 assists and 8.1 rebounds – the assists and rebounds are both second-best in his career. However, he’s never been a great shooter and his .366 accuracy this season is the worst of his career.
Kidd’s specialty is making others around him better, which is exactly what Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks have lacked since letting Steve Nash leave as a free agent after the 2003-04 season.
With Kidd running the offense, Nowitzki should get more shots from his favorite spots and Josh Howard will have someone new to run with on the fast break. Jason Terry also will get to spend most of his time at shooting guard.
Harris has gotten better in each of his four seasons, helping him earn a five-year contract worth roughly $42 million prior to this season. However, he’s nowhere near the distributor Kidd is, nor is he liable to get a triple-double. He may eventually have that well-rounded of a game, but the Mavericks apparently don’t want to wait.
Diop and George are free agents after this season. Ager, in his second year, never broke into the rotation.
Allen was averaging 5.4 points in almost 16 minutes per game for New Jersey this season.
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