J-Kidd Traded to the Mavs…for All THAT?
Posted by Blake Murphy on February 13, 2008
So the NBA has it in for me. Ever since the site relaunched I’ve planned on doing a running diary of the NBA trade deadline, which happens to be next Thursday. Apparently, NBA teams didn’t get the memo.
First Gasol. Then Shaq. Now Kidd.
ESPN.com is reporting that the Mavericks and Nets have agreed to a deal in principle that would send Kidd and Malik Allen to Big D for a ridiculous package of Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, Maurice Ager, and two expiring contracts in Desagna Diop and Devean George, plus the $3M maximum allowed trade cash and first round picks in 2008 and 2010.
Umm…what?
Have Mark Cuban and his band of front office puppets not been paying attention lately? The Lakers got Gasol for 30 cents on the dollar, and depending on how you look at it, Miami got Marion for something even worse than nothing, a 320-pound $60M contract. And the Mavs gave up all that for a 34 (soon to be 35) year old point guard who shoots 36% from the floor? Really?
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know it’s Jason Kidd, but you would have trouble convincing me that he is a better option than Devin Harris right now, let alone worth Harris and all of those other pieces. This trade reeks of a panic deal, something Cuban wanted made because he felt left out with the West getting mightier in recent weeks, and possibly bored and jealous of other teams getting big-name stars. I’m not saying that’s the most likely reason, but it has to have been a motive.
Jason Kidd for all of that? Kidd may well still be one of the best point guards in the league. Averages of 11.3-8.1-10.4 are absolutely insane. He is a triple double machine, the best rebounding guard in the NBA, and is a playmaker in the ilk of Nash and Stockton. He’s also a decent defender and is one of the top post-up guards in the league. On the other hand, the guy shoots 36%, has an albatross contract, has worn down in recent years, and averages just 11.3 points a night.
You’re right, the Mavericks aren’t brining him into score. And yes, a Kidd-Terry-Howard-Nowitzki lineup is scary regardless of who the fifth is. But Devin Harris may be just as good. For my money, he is the best defensive point guard in the league, is an underrated scorer (14.4), shooter (48.3%) and playmaker (5.3), and most importantly, he’s 24 years old. Like it or not Dirk, Harris is the leader of this team on the floor, and his motor is the only thing that lets your team handle the Suns or any other quick guards (Spurs, Hornets).
I was shocked when I saw the specifics of this deal. There is also a report that the teams will make a second deal, sending ODC favorite Antoine Wright to the Mavs for a second round pick, but not even scoring Bostjan Nachbar could have made me sing a different tune here.
This is meant to be a quick reflection, so I won’t get too carried away on why moving Harris for Kidd straight up makes no sense (contracts, age, defense, fit on the team, chemistry, and the fact that this team is young enough [Dirk is just 29] that having a good young point guard and draft picks makes a lot of sense), but let’s look at what the Mavs gave up, for real.
Two first round picks. Sure, they’ll be late firsts, but they have trade value and rotation player potential. Jerry Stackhouse averages close to 10 points a game and is one of the best 6th men you can find. Desagna Diop actually played well in the playoffs last year and is a huge shot-blocking presence, and the other two (Ager and George) are bit pieces. But Harris? Come on. The Nets got a great haul here, probably one the Cavs or Lakers could never have matched, and kudos to them for selling the face of the franchise for 1.05 on the dollar.
Does this trade make the Mavs look like a bigger playoff threat on paper? Sure does. Does the move make Cuban and Dirk happy? You bet. Does it give the Raptors a better chance of winning tonight with New Jersey in town? You know it, champ. But does it really make the Mavs better, now and moving forward? I just don’t see it.
The deal makes the Mavs older, limits their ability to make moves in the summer (Kidd has another year left on his deal, and indications are his agents are working out an extension for once the deal becomes official), and severely thins out their bench. Dirk and Howard, and even Terry and Kidd, will improve, but the team as a whole hasn’t gotten much better.
They’re still not on my Western Conference Champions radar. No Kidding.
Oh and a side note to Gilbert Arenas: This move takes Kidd out of the All-Star game, leaving the East a guard short. Looking at the list…hmmmm…
February 13, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Does this mean that Jose Calderon gets to be an Eastern Conference All-Star after all?
Eat your heart out Gilbert.
February 13, 2008 at 7:49 pm
To quote Blake in a previous post:
The NBA, where “what the fuck?” happens
id say is an accurate summary
February 13, 2008 at 8:16 pm
I wouldn’t say it was a lopsided trade at all. The Mavs pick up the 4th best PG in the NBA(Paul,Nash,Williams, in order)and now have a better shot at competing for a title this year in the stacked West. Let’s look at what the Nets actually got. Harris is a sick young player and is obviously the key to the deal. Besides that though….If Diop doesnt resign, which he probs wont,thats just a rental for the rest of the year and they aint doing shit IF they make the playoffs. D George give me a break, 11th man at best on a good team.Stackhouse is finished, at his age, hes a dime a dozen. Three million!!! wow to those owners that’s pennies. Ager, good at MSU but realistically he’s a Joey Graham. The first rounders are pretty much 2nd rounders because Dallas is a top 3 team every year. All I’m getting at is sure the Nets got a bit more depth which they did desperately needed, but it’s a bunch of role players who ain’t going to bring them to glory land anytime soon and I f’in love to see Vince losing as that rat bastard shoud. Furthermore, Dallas got the better of the deal.
February 13, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Remember when Mark Cuban didnt re-sign Steve Nash cause he was getting ‘old.’ Now, he’s paying an even older player more money, who’s not even as good, and he had to spend 2 1st rounders AND Devin Harris just to get Kidd. What a douche.
February 13, 2008 at 9:32 pm
haha devan george is exercising his no trade claus, the move to give george might be a dumber move by cuban than actually making this trade. A one year deal with a notrade claus haha like im actually dying laughing out loud right now.
February 13, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Yeah Devin George blocked it… hilarious.
February 13, 2008 at 10:02 pm
The West is getting better everyday. Literally. How is NJ going to fit all those players. This, to me, is very similar to the Shaq trade with one major difference. That difference is the difference in age between Nash and Nowitzki. With Devin Harris, Dallas has probably about 6-8 more years in the top 5 teams in the league before Dirk is gone. I dont think they would have ever won a title with that team which puts me on the fence with this trade. Dallas was not a contender before today and now I think they are a serious contender to win for the next 3 years. I still put Lakers and Suns ahead and likely the Spurs because they still dont have the frontcourt. Kidd can work wonders though and they could win it all. This is more of a risk than the Shaq deal, because of Harris, and will only be worth it if they win it all. This pretty much is a Kidd for Harris and a couple picks deal. The rest are useless.
February 13, 2008 at 10:09 pm
So, what’s next? (Besides George blocking this thing…)
Ron Artest to the Cavs?
Eddy Curry to Miami?
Sam I Am to Bosoton?
VC to Indy?
Greg Popovich to the insane asylum?
Only one thing is certain: the Bulls will do nothing, because potential and future pieces matter more than actually winning.
February 13, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I’m hoping for Artest to the Knicks for Eddy, maybe they’ll throw Bibby in there too.
February 14, 2008 at 12:24 am
Quick response to Al—Diop and George are expiring contracts, so they provide the Nets with cap flexibility, that’s their value in the trade.
Keep barking dogs, this is looking good.
February 14, 2008 at 12:55 am
And I return home from a long drive from Kingston to Cambridge to find that Devean George has blocked the trade. From a financial/free-agent standpoint, blocking the deal makes sense (George can make much more money with the Mavs or via a sign-and-trade than he could as a regular free agent) but come on, you ASKED for a trade a few weeks ago. And you’re Devean Fucking George. 0/11 tonight Devean George.
Let’s continue to debate this deal as if it’s going down, because I don’t see anyway Thorn and Cuban let George stand in the way. They’ll find a Keith Van Horn-ish way to settle it.
February 14, 2008 at 1:41 pm
I dont think this deal happens now. Cuban’s gonna hear it about how stupid the trade was and this gives him a chance to back out…
I bet Cuban did this, and knew George would block it. This way, it exposes the Nets and therfore decreases Kidd’s value…
Is Cuban that smart?
February 14, 2008 at 3:39 pm
He did create AOL Time-Warner. Then again, he also let Steve Nash go for nothing.