<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Akron Beacon Journal)</div><div class='quotemain'>After weeks of rumors in the New York-area papers, Kidd confirmed to ESPN.com on Monday that he's asked the New Jersey Nets to be traded. ''Sometimes, when you ride a wave, you get to the end and that's all there is. That's where we are,'' Kidd told ESPN. The Cavs, in need of a point guard, are expected to be putting in a bid. According to sources, the Cavs' front office has been in contact recently with the Nets to gauge their demands. As with the pursuit of Bibby and Garnett, the team is not in a favorable position because it has a limited number of tradable assets. Plus the Cavs are 12-3 over their last 15 games and have played better as the season has gone along, which might prevent them from tearing up the roster to make such a deal before the Feb. 21 trade deadline. But Kidd and James became close last summer while helping Team USA qualify for the Olympics. The two established a chemistry on and off the court and began dreaming about playing together in the NBA. In November, Kidd told Sports Illustrated that he and James have had ''a little talk'' about playing together with the Cavs. For that reason alone, Ferry will be compelled to make an effort to get Kidd. If the Nets grant Kidd's request, they probably will not want to trade him to a team they compete with in the Eastern Conference. In addition, like the Minnesota Timberwolves with Garnett, the going rate will probably be a cocktail of young players, expiring contracts and/or draft picks. The Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers are also expected to put in a pitch for Kidd. All of them are Western Conference teams. Kidd, 34, makes $19 million this season and $21 million next year in the last season of his contract. To make a deal work, the Cavs would have to send at least $15 million in contracts to New Jersey and then be willing to accept increased payroll and luxury tax penalties. The Cavs have been shopping Larry Hughes, who makes $12 million this season, but have yet to find any takers. Two more attractive possibilities are Drew Gooden, a young athletic big man with a reasonable contract, and Daniel Gibson, who is one of the best young shooters in the NBA. But combined they make just over $7 million, which shows why such a deal would be complex.</div> Source I'd love to get Kidd here in Cleveland, but I wouldn't want to give up Gibson or Varejao preferrably. That leaves very little by the way of tradeable assets: only Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes plus fillers and, let's face it, that's not gonna be enough to bring a Hall of Famer to Cleveland. I would be great, just probably not feasible.
LeBron Wants Kidd <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>BEAVERTON, ORE.: The Cavaliers now have a mandate . . . from the top. Following a workout Tuesday on the Nike campus in Beaverton, Ore., LeBron James barely needed to hear the words Jason Kidd to make it very clear how much he'd like the Cavs to attempt to trade for the New Jersey Nets' disgruntled guard. And he expects the team's front office will make it a priority. ''I would love to have a guy like Jason Kidd to be a part of this franchise. I think it makes us that much better of a team,'' James said. ''Everyone knows how much I love Jason Kidd, just throughout the summertime (when they played for Team USA). It's not hard to see how much I'd love to have him as part of the team. ''Honestly, when you see Jason Kidd wants to be traded, you shouldn't have to go to the front office and tell them to get on it. It's Jason Kidd.'' Then he was asked if being paired with Kidd could bring a championship to Cleveland. ''Yeah,'' James said. ''It's that easy.'' Only, it's not. Kidd sent NBA front offices into a tizzy Monday when he told ESPN that he wanted to be traded from the Nets. Applying such public pressure usually means superstars get traded and, quite often, for pennies on the dollar. Numerous teams — the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Cavs are believed to be at the forefront — are interested, so it didn't take James' proclamation to have the Cavs start working on it. As it is, sources say, they've been in touch with the Nets since Kidd's frustrations first became public last month after New Jersey rejected giving him a contract extension. At this point, though, the Cavs would have to be considered an underdog at best. Which James understands, but it doesn't preclude the Cavs from making a try ahead of the trade deadline, which is three weeks away. Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry, who does not comment on trade rumors, did not come with the team on its West Coast trip, perhaps to stay in Cleveland to attempt to construct a deal. While there are scenarios in which the Cavs could acquire Kidd with their current players, there is not a natural trade that would appeal to the Nets. Which is why Ferry is likely working on getting a third team involved, a tactic he tried last year when he took a swing at trading for Sacramento Kings guard Mike Bibby. According to sources, with the exception of James and Anderson Varejao, who cannot be traded due to NBA rules, the Cavs are willing to discuss anyone on the roster. However, Ferry has proved to be conservative when making changes and values stability. At the same time, though, he's been looking to re-tool since last summer, but hasn't found the right chemistry for a deal. It may not be right now, either, but there's no doubting the impetus. Lineup shakeup With Varejao out multiple weeks with an ankle sprain, Cavs coach Mike Brown said Tuesday that he'll be looking at some different rotations at the forward spot. That will likely include Donyell Marshall, who hasn't played in nearly three months with a wrist injury. Brown also said that he'll likely activate forward Cedric Simmons, who hasn't played since suffering an ankle injury Nov. 16, to replace Varejao. Drew Gooden, who has been struggling of late, also figures to see more time.</div> Source: Akron Beacon Journal
There isn't much the Cavs have to offer that I'd be too interested in. Unless they wanted to give us LeBron, that'd be cool
