Jason Kidd officially wants out. If the joke was still somewhat funny I would give ‘Captain Obvious’ a big thank you. I haven’t heard a worst-kept secret than when Jennifer Lopez tried to pretend she wasn’t pregnant. And then finally admitted she was and was surprised she was met with apathy.
Enough with the pop-culture, I’m sure for Kidd this is just a massive buildup of frustration. He carried the Nets to the Finals in his prime but was unable to get over the machines known as the Lakers and Spurs. He’s witnessed the Nets surround him with the likes of a disgruntled Alonzo Mourning, Jeff McInnis, Marc Jackson and Cliff Robinson. And anyone who could help the effort has been injured at one point or another (Krstic, Jefferson). Now everyone must face the facts: this VC-Jefferson-Kidd trio just is not working out. Everyone and their mother could throw in their two cents as to why it isn’t (no chemistry….no one else on the roster…etc.) but the truth is they are not producing results. The Nets have lost their last 9 games including going 0-for-6 on a brutal West Coast road swing. I’m sure the losing hasn’t helped any of Kidd’s previous complaints with the team. Sadly they are only a 1/2 game behind Indiana for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. I guess the combination of being 34, having a 5-6 record when he gets a triple-double, having to throw post entry passes to Jamaal Magloire, Malik Allen and Jason Collins, taking orders from a regulation leprechaun and watching Vince Carter give less effort than a grandma has driven him crazy. Which is normally ok..
Except now he has gone public.
Let the rumors start flying. But as I sit here, I wonder to myself…just where can he go? Teams would love to have him but what teams can make it work. Let’s take a gander as I get a sweet excuse to play with the Trade Machine again. The question no longer is what can the Nets get for Kidd (they aren’t going to be getting anywhere near top dollar) but instead what they are willing to take in return.
(Also am I the only one who is secretly hoping that all of this marks the return of Jason Kidd’s son. You know the big-headed one with the moustache that dominated TV during the Nets “dominance”. What happened to him? Is his head still massive? Does he have to shave? Can I get an update please)
Denver
Denver needs a point guard. Like, really, really bad. Almost as bad as the writers need to end this strike.The big off-season signing Chucky Atkins has been a big-time bust. Injuries have limited him to appearing in only 9 games so far this season. To put that in perspective, the Nugs are 7-2 when Atkins played. Now substitute Kidd for Atkins. Watch out, indeed. With Atkins out they’ve been relying on Anthony Carter. Need I say more?
Trades That Work
- Steven Hunter and Kenyon Martin for Kidd.
- Kenyon Martin and Chucky Atkins for Kidd
- Martin, Von Wafer and JR Smith for Kidd
The Nuggets have options people. They just have to convince the Nets to take K-Mart back…highly unlikely. New Jersey certainly wouldn’t be getting much in return from the Nugs.
Dallas
Devin Harris just went down for 2-3 weeks with an ankle injury. The Mavs don’t need Kidd nearly as much as Denver, but then again a move for Kidd could be the last-ditch effort they need to even think about a title. Yeah I said it Coup, I’m still not buying Dallas as a contender.
Trades That Work:
- Devin Harris, Erick Dampier and Eddie Jones for Kidd.
- Harris, Dampier and Devean George for Kidd.
- Jason Terry and Dampier for Kidd.
- Jerry Stackhouse and Dampier for Kidd.
- Dampier, Trenton Hassell and Brandon Bass for Kidd.
- Dampier, George, Bass and Harris for Kidd.
Variety of combinations. Obviously the Nets would have to be willing to take Dampier. But they could get Harris (PG for the future) or snag Terry or Stackhouse. More appeasing than what the Nuggets can offer.
Lakers
Well for all purposes, this is where Kidd should have ended up last year/this summer. However hindsight proves that NOT trading Bynum was a genuis move. LA has to be back in the discussions. Players that I would deem untouchable from the Laker front: Kobe, Fisher, Walton, Bynum. Possibly Odom.
Trades That Work:
- Kwame Brown and Lamar Odom for Kidd.
- Brown, Chris Mihm and Radmonovic for Kidd.
- Odom, Radmonovic and Javaris Crittenton for Kidd.
- Brown, Radmonovic and Crittenton for Kidd.
I think you get the point. Vujacic or Farmar could easily be subbed in for Crittenton in those trades. I just found it interesting that the Lakers could possibly trade Kidd without giving up Odom, I didn’t even think that could work. Highly doubt that the Nets would take that boo-boo platter but anything is possible. Odom and Brown would be the centerpieces, could the Nets accept the fact that they couldn’t get Bynum if they had a gun and the pictures of Kobe’s accuser? Not too sure.
Portland
I can’t ever play with the Trade Machine without messing with the Blazers. We probably wouldn’t even think about throwing our name in the cap…but hey. Gotta take a gander.
- Raef LaFrentz and Darius Miles for Kidd.
- LaFrentz and Blake for Kidd.
Those are the only semi-reasonable trades I could come up with, so for the 5 morons who dream about wanting Kidd in a Blazer uniform…just go watch porn or something.
Toronto
With TJ Ford’s future in doubt…why wouldn’t Colangelo make the call and inquire about Kidd. Calderon and Kidd might combine to have 47 assists in one game who knows.
- TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Juan Dixon and Maceo Baston for Kidd.
Sadly, this one took me about 7 or 8 tries and was the only one I could come up with that didn’t involve Bosh, Delfino, Kapono or Parker. In doing this trades I’m assuming the team offering is going to want to keep as much as possible.
Miami
I was just messing around…but then I found what could be the best offer that the Nets could get.
- Jason Williams, Smush Parker and Ricky Davis for Kidd.
Now why is that the best offer? Because all 3 of those contracts would expire after this year. Three expiring contracts?? Of course the Heat wouldn’t offer this (they’re pretty much D-O-N-E) but if Thorn wanted to be a jerk and do the best thing for the Nets future this would be the one.
Bulls…they want Nocioni but unless the Nets were to take Ben Wallace a trade for Kidd wouldn’t work.
Cleveland
They should not be slept on in these Kidd sweepstakes. While they have been hot lately it has only been because of LeBron and the fact that everyone else hasn’t been completely horrible. Jason Kidd would be a major upgrade over Larry Hughes and pretending that “Boobie” is a PG.
Trades That Work:
- Eric Snow, Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones for Kidd
- Larry Hughes, Ira Newble and Jones for Kidd.