Here's What's Hot On CBS11TV.COM:
Feb 13, 2008 8:46 pm US/Central
Report: Kidd Trade To Mavs Blocked
Dallas Would Have Reportedly Sent Harris, Stackhouse And 3 Others, Plus Picks And Cash, To Nets For Kidd And Malik Allen
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
-
-
The New Jersey Nets have agreed to send Jason Kidd and Malik Allen to Dallas for Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, DeSagana Diop, Devean George, Maurice Ager, two first-round picks and $3 million, sources have told CBSSports.com.
AP
Several reports, including CBSSports.com, have confirmed that the
Mavericks Trade for Jason Kidd has been blocked by Mavericks
Guard/Forward Devean George.
The
Mavericks and Nets had reportedly agreed on a proposed 7 player deal
that would have sent All-Star Jason Kidd to Dallas, but George has
exercised a no trade clause blocking the trade.
George is in
the starting lineup for the Mavericks against Portland. Devin Harris
and Jerry Stackhouse, who are also apart of the deal, were not in
uniform and not on the Mavericks Bench for tonight's game.
Kidd
was 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 Stackhouse said his agent told him the trade would be completed.
"Now I think it's pretty much a done deal," Stackhouse told The Associated Press.
Stackhouse added that he may be able to rejoin Dallas within 30 days, an indication the Nets would buy out his contract.
"I feel great. I get 30 days to rest, then I'll be right back," he said. "I ain't going nowhere."
By
adding Kidd, the Mavericks would be in a win-now mode. He is 10 years
older than the 24-year-old Harris, but also far more ready to lead a
team on a title hunt. Dallas has been close in recent years, losing in
the NBA finals in 2006, then winning 67 games last season before
flaming out in the first round.
Mavs officials were reluctant
to shake up their core, but a recent slump and some big additions by
Western Conference rivals may have helped change their minds.
"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 top teams
in the West have stocked up their rosters in recent weeks. The Lakers
got things rolling by plucking Pau Gasol from Memphis and last week
Phoenix traded for Shaquille O'Neal. San Antonio added point guard
Damon Stoudemire to its rotation.
Mavs brass resisted
overhauling the team in the offseason and held steady the last few
months. Whether it was the team's sloppy play of late or to counter the
moves made by their rivals, owner Mark Cuban finally felt the time was
right.
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 coach Avery 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 has
been looking to get out of New Jersey for months. The Nets are 23-29
and unlikely to be contenders in the East, like he made them for most
of his tenure.
Kidd led New Jersey to the NBA finals in each
of his first two seasons there, but the Nets haven't gotten past the
second round of the playoffs since.
Kidd's arrival would be a
boon to reigning MVP Dirk Nowitzki, providing him with the easy baskets
he used to get when teamed with Steve Nash. His presence also will open
things up for Josh Howard, plus let Jason Terry spend more time at
shooting guard.
Harris' numbers have gone up 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 decided
they couldn't wait.
Losing Diop hurts Dallas' front line, as
he is the primary backup to starting center Erick Dampier. However,
Diop - who is a free agent after this season - had fallen out of favor
with Johnson lately.
George, also headed toward free agency,
was in his second season with the Mavericks, but never found his niche
because of injuries and a logjam at the small forward-shooting guard
spots. Ager was another in that crowded mix. In his second year from
Michigan State, he never worked his way into the rotation and recently
was sent to the NBA Development League.
Allen was averaging 5.4 points in almost 16 minutes per game for New Jersey this season.
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.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Hollywood Hair
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
