No Kidd-ing around for Mavs
Kidd: Will find out soon if he is a Net or Mav as his near-trade from New Jersey Nets to Dallas Mavericks in a seven-man deal might yet happen. Picture: AFP
Sunday, February 17, 2008
INSTEAD of boosting their title hopes by netting star guard Jason Kidd, the Dallas Mavericks might just have destroyed their team spirit because the trade deal fell through.
When players gathered on Friday to speak before today's National Basketball Association All-Star Game, the near-trade of New Jersey Nets point guard Kidd to Dallas in a seven-man deal that might yet happen was the hottest topic.
"I've never seen this before. I've never been part of the uncertainty," Kidd said. "I will find out soon if I'm a Net or a Mav. I'm a Net until I'm told otherwise.
"I'm not disappointed. I have no hard feelings whichever way it goes. I'm at peace with it either way. Everything will work itself out one way or another."
Kidd had asked for a trade from the Nets, languishing at 23-30 but still in seventh in the Eastern Conference play-off race, and would have been a fit for the Mavericks, third in the Western Conference at 35-17.
With the Los Angeles Lakers making a deal for Spanish forward Pau Gasol and Phoenix landing star centre Shaquille O'Neal in a trade with Miami, the Mavericks hoped bringing in Kidd would keep pace with improved West rivals.
"I'm just a piece in the puzzle," Kidd said. "If we would compete for a championship, that would be nice."
The Mavericks were set to trade Jerry Stackhouse, DeSagana Diop, Devean George, Devin Harris and Maurice Ager plus cash and draft picks to New Jersey for Kidd and Malik Allen.
But George used a clause in his contract to void the deal and stay with Dallas to protect free agency rights.
"It's a team sport but a lot of it is about individuals," Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki said. "Devean is looking out for himself. It's what you're used to over here. I can't really say anything bad about him. It's just one of those things."
The move was unpopular with Dallas fans who see George as denying the Mavericks an All-Star point guard in Kidd.
"It's unfortunate that's taking place. It's my experience you can't make everybody happy," Kidd said. "It's something I know is important to him."
A deal might yet be made before Thursday's NBA trading deadline. But if not, then one-third of the Mavericks roster knows team management has no faith they are needed to win a title or even capable of it.
"It has definitely been a weird couple of days with everything happening and nobody knowing what's going on. The deal was done. Then it wasn't," star forward Nowitzki said.
"It hasn't been easy. You have guys pulling in different directions. We try to keep our focus, keep the group together. It gets tough to pull it back together. We just have to play together whoever puts on the uniform."
The German star led Dallas to the NBA's best record last season but the Mavs were ousted in the first round of the play-offs. That failure and the failed trade could destroy team camaraderie.
"We have to make sure that doesn't happen. If the locker room gets split, we don't have a chance. Hopefully we can move forward with locker room chemistry," Nowitzki said. "It doesn't matter where you are. You should give your all."
Nowitzki never even had time to seriously ponder playing alongside Kidd.
"We all know Jason is one of the top point guards the league has ever seen. He's great to watch," Nowitzki said. "It didn't go down. We're right back where we were. As far as I'm concerned, we have the same team we had last week."AFP
When players gathered on Friday to speak before today's National Basketball Association All-Star Game, the near-trade of New Jersey Nets point guard Kidd to Dallas in a seven-man deal that might yet happen was the hottest topic.
"I've never seen this before. I've never been part of the uncertainty," Kidd said. "I will find out soon if I'm a Net or a Mav. I'm a Net until I'm told otherwise.
"I'm not disappointed. I have no hard feelings whichever way it goes. I'm at peace with it either way. Everything will work itself out one way or another."
Kidd had asked for a trade from the Nets, languishing at 23-30 but still in seventh in the Eastern Conference play-off race, and would have been a fit for the Mavericks, third in the Western Conference at 35-17.
With the Los Angeles Lakers making a deal for Spanish forward Pau Gasol and Phoenix landing star centre Shaquille O'Neal in a trade with Miami, the Mavericks hoped bringing in Kidd would keep pace with improved West rivals.
"I'm just a piece in the puzzle," Kidd said. "If we would compete for a championship, that would be nice."
The Mavericks were set to trade Jerry Stackhouse, DeSagana Diop, Devean George, Devin Harris and Maurice Ager plus cash and draft picks to New Jersey for Kidd and Malik Allen.
But George used a clause in his contract to void the deal and stay with Dallas to protect free agency rights.
"It's a team sport but a lot of it is about individuals," Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki said. "Devean is looking out for himself. It's what you're used to over here. I can't really say anything bad about him. It's just one of those things."
The move was unpopular with Dallas fans who see George as denying the Mavericks an All-Star point guard in Kidd.
"It's unfortunate that's taking place. It's my experience you can't make everybody happy," Kidd said. "It's something I know is important to him."
A deal might yet be made before Thursday's NBA trading deadline. But if not, then one-third of the Mavericks roster knows team management has no faith they are needed to win a title or even capable of it.
"It has definitely been a weird couple of days with everything happening and nobody knowing what's going on. The deal was done. Then it wasn't," star forward Nowitzki said.
"It hasn't been easy. You have guys pulling in different directions. We try to keep our focus, keep the group together. It gets tough to pull it back together. We just have to play together whoever puts on the uniform."
The German star led Dallas to the NBA's best record last season but the Mavs were ousted in the first round of the play-offs. That failure and the failed trade could destroy team camaraderie.
"We have to make sure that doesn't happen. If the locker room gets split, we don't have a chance. Hopefully we can move forward with locker room chemistry," Nowitzki said. "It doesn't matter where you are. You should give your all."
Nowitzki never even had time to seriously ponder playing alongside Kidd.
"We all know Jason is one of the top point guards the league has ever seen. He's great to watch," Nowitzki said. "It didn't go down. We're right back where we were. As far as I'm concerned, we have the same team we had last week."AFP
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