http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3244102 <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Jason Kidd has quietly -- and not so quietly -- hoped for a trade to the Dallas Mavericks all season. And now Kidd has stronger-than-ever hope that the wish will be granted, according to NBA front-office sources. Sources told ESPN.com that talks between the Mavericks and Nets, which had seemingly stalled, grew serious after the teams played Sunday night in New Jersey and have moved them to the brink of completing the NBA's third blockbuster deal of the month. Although sources say that the teams are still sorting out final details, this deal was described as "imminent" by one source close to the process after negotiations moved to an advanced stage Tuesday night. The proposed swap -- salvaged from talks of a three-way trade with Portland that developed and fizzled quickly two weeks ago -- would require Dallas to send 24-year-old point guard Devin Harris, veteran swingman Jerry Stackhouse, the expiring contracts of center DeSegana Diop and swingman Devean George and another player such as guard Maurice Ager to New Jersey for Kidd and possibly veteran guard Darrell Armstrong. It's believed that Dallas would also send New Jersey cash and future draft considerations. Dallas has been widely considered the most likely winner of the Kidd trade sweepstakes, despite the repeated attempts of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to publicly dismiss the idea of parting with multiple regulars for Kidd. Cuban told several New York-based reporters Sunday before New Jersey beat Dallas that a deal for All-Star floor leader would severely weaken his roster. "For us to make the numbers work in a deal like that, we'd have to trade away half the team," Cuban said. "We're not doing that, so it just doesn't work. And we like our team. We've got a lot of room for improvement and we hope to get better. But right now, I just don't see anything happening. Yet sources close to the process insist that the talks have heated up in the past 24 hours, with the Mavs still tantalized by the prospect of bringing Kidd back more than a decade after the pre-Cuban regime drafted him out of Cal, watched him share rookie of the year honors with Grant Hill in 1994-95 and then traded him to Phoenix on the day after Christmas in 1996. The Mavs' biggest reservation, though, isn't sacrificing Harris. Sources maintain that Dallas, while reluctant to part with one of Cuban's favorite players and its point guard of the future after signing Harris to a contract extension over the summer, has been resigned for some time to losing Harris if it meant getting Kidd back. The greater hesitation, sources said, is that they would also have to part with Stackhouse and Diop, weakening Dallas' depth. Although it's believed that Stackhouse is likely to be bought out and released by the Nets, which would enable Dallas to re-sign him if he sits out for 30 days, there's no guarantee they can convince Stackhouse to resist the interest of other teams to return once he becomes a free agent. Losing Diop, meanwhile, is an even bigger blow, as that would leave the undependable Erick Dampier as the Mavericks' only veteran center at a time when potential playoff foes like the Los Angeles Lakers (Pau Gasol) and Phoenix Suns (Shaquille O'Neal) are getting bigger. But Dallas appears more motivated than ever in spite of those concerns and the current lack of a third team to join in and broaden the trade, believing that Kidd -- although he turns 35 in March and is threatening to establish a new career low with his 36.7 percent shooting from the field -- is still a prime source of leadership and mental toughness. Kidd displayed those qualities in abundance during a strong summer with Team USA and those areas are well-chronicled weak spots for the Mavs, who followed up a historic collapse to Miami in the 2006 NBA Finals with a first-round flameout against Golden State after winning 67 games last season. A point guard of Kidd's caliber, influence and experience would undoubtedly please the demanding Avery Johnson, reinvigorate a team that has been lacking energy and confidence and supply Dallas' coach with a dangerous four-man core of Kidd, Josh Howard, Jason Terry and reigning MVP Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki is the player Kidd has had in mind when privately telling associates in recent months that he hoped to go back to Dallas. Although his desire to leave New Jersey had been suspected all season, Kidd didn't go public with that wish until late January, when he told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher that it's time for him and New Jersey "all to move on" in separate directions. Kidd was acquired by the Nets in the 2001 offseason in a trade with Phoenix featuring Stephon Marbury and sparked New Jersey to the most successful period in the team's NBA history, starting with back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. After giving strong consideration to signing with San Antonio in the summer of 2003, Kidd elected to stay with the Nets. During the past four-plus seasons, however, New Jersey has not advanced past the second round of the playoffs, despite the 2004 arrival of Vince Carter and Kidd's successful recovery from microfracture knee surgery. The Nets were prepared to deal Kidd to the Lakers at the trade deadline last season but pulled out of the deal when the Lakers refused to part with center Andrew Bynum, who has since blossomed. This deal would give them a highly rated point guard who's 10 years younger than Kidd and three cap-friendly contracts if the Mavericks indeed include Ager. The Nets could come away with even more salary-cap relief if the Mavericks built their trade package around Harris and a signed-and-traded Keith Van Horn. Although he has been out of the game since the end of the 2005-06 season, Van Horn hasn't filed official retirement papers with the league, allowing Dallas to retain his rights. And because Van Horn's final NBA salary was nearly $16 million, Dallas can re-sign him for a substantial amount and thus create a lucrative expiring contract for the Nets, because only the first year of a contract must be guaranteed in a sign-and-trade arrangement. Cuban, though, told ESPN.com last week that "we won't use [Van Horn] in any deal for anyone." That's because Kidd would cost the Mavericks nearly $40 million next season, thanks to the luxury tax, if they sent only Harris, Van Horn and salary-cap filler to the Nets.</div>
Harris and a KVH magic envelope is the package I want. Then since teams are overvaluing Harris, trade him for a better package this summer.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KD @ Feb 13 2008, 02:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I wouldn't' mind it AT ALL if this went down.</div> What an amazing deal. In a year or two, Devin Harris will already surpass Jason Kidd as the superior player. Harris will be a beast in the East with his quickness, defense and ability to drive/dish/shoot. Honestly, with Diop in the mix, he basically replaces Jason Collins as the team's banger AND why buy out Stackhouse, who would be our best player off the bench? Why not just buy out Wright?
I hope this is what happens, but this trade makes no sense on a few levels. 1) why would the Nets buy-out Stackhouse? He's making $7.25 this season and has an additional $16.8mm coming over the following 2 seasons. Dallas can only send $3MM in cash. Right? Plus the Nets actually need a player like him for the bench. 2) Cuban won't use Van Horn in a S&T because of the cost, but he'll send Stackhouse and cash and then re-sign Stackhouse? 3) Dampier becomes the only center on a team that has to battle Shaq, Duncan and the Bynum/Gasol tandem in the playoffs. Buying out Dampier and George seems to make more sense. Nets don't save anything long term, but they get a quality starting PG and a quality wing player for the bench.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Netsfan318 @ Feb 13 2008, 02:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>no thanks to KVH, anything else I'd take in this proposal.</div> KVH would never be in a Nets uniform. He would be salary filler and would be an expiring contract.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Netsfan318 @ Feb 13 2008, 02:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>no thanks to KVH, anything else I'd take in this proposal.</div> KVH would be signed for a 1 year deal. It's just to make salaries match and he then clears cap space for us over the summer. he won't even suit up.
Well, from a Mavericks perspective, I'm on the fence. He'd improve the offense, but the defense would be worse. I guess it depends on how much our offensive improvement offsets what he gives up defensively...a recipe like that though doesn't equate to a title. We've already had our run at being the best offense, to no avail. The Suns and Lakers moves improved their defense, this one weakens ours. I don't like that, especially when you consider guards are what have been the story of the POs out of the West the past few years, and Kidd can't shoot or move laterally anymore.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (purplehaze89 @ Feb 13 2008, 02:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (KD @ Feb 13 2008, 02:09 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I wouldn't' mind it AT ALL if this went down.</div> What an amazing deal. In a year or two, Devin Harris will already surpass Jason Kidd as the superior player. Harris will be a beast in the East with his quickness, defense and ability to drive/dish/shoot. Honestly, with Diop in the mix, he basically replaces Jason Collins as the team's banger AND why buy out Stackhouse, who would be our best player off the bench? Why not just buy out Wright? </div> Harris has poor vision for a PG and his defense is greatly overstated. Yes he is fast and yes he can drive, but that is it.
Dang when did Cuban go on the cheap? I remember the days where he would just give up Stack and sign and trade KVH just to match the salaries. That would be what a 10 million check for KVH if he reports. Was listening to Tom Tolbert yesterday, he does a radio show in the SF Bay Area and they have a weekly interview with Nellie, he was begging Nellie to sign and trade him, so he can collect a check ala Aaron McKie in the Gasol deal.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GMJigga @ Feb 13 2008, 02:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Harris, expirings, Stackhouse, picks, and money? THRON</div> they pissed off the wrong guy
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GMJigga @ Feb 13 2008, 02:18 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Harris, expirings, Stackhouse, picks, and money? THRON</div> Not really much in expirings. Harris and Stack combine for about $15 million next season. Still over cap. That's the other thing I don't get. If Stack is bought out he'll still be eating up our cap space for the next 2 years. If he isn't going to play for us that's worse than keeping Kidd.
This is the best/only deal you could make, but relative to other teams. What are you guys going to do after you trade Kidd? Rebuild or Retool?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dre @ Feb 13 2008, 02:25 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>This is the best/only deal you could make, but relative to other teams. What are you guys going to do after you trade Kidd? Rebuild or Retool?</div> Can't rebuild. Still over the cap if this went down. Only way we wouldn't be is if the KVH thing happened.
