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Nets star point guard could help, but assets to make deal are scarce
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Friday, Dec 07, 2007
It didn't take long for the Cavaliers to be injected right back into the NBA rumor/speculation machine.
The same day the club got some closure on their long-running contract issue with Anderson Varejao, they found themselves in the middle of another developing story.
New Jersey Nets star point guard Jason Kidd skipped his team's game Wednesday night with a migraine headache, but news outlets from New York widely reported that it was a ploy to force a trade or a contract extension from the Nets, which is where the Cavs come in.
Last week, Kidd raised eyebrows when he told Sports Illustrated about his new friendship with LeBron James and said they've often talked about playing together.
''There's a little talk,'' Kidd said. ''But I told him, 'What ifs can get you in trouble . . . if I don't get to play with you until this summer (at the Olympics), then that's the way it's meant to be'''
Now, this latest action has stirred up the rumor mill. But before Cavs fans start getting too involved in it, understand that it's a long shot at best.
Kidd tried to douse the flames with a press conference Thursday, saying he was truly sick and not trying to send a message. He also denied he had a desire to be traded to the Cavs, telling media members: ''I never asked to be traded and (Cleveland) is not one of my destinations to go to.''
The Cavs, like all NBA teams, do not comment on rumors. But there is no doubt they would either directly contact Nets president Rod Thorn or put out feelers to test the market for Kidd. In reality, though, such a deal would be very difficult to execute for myriad reasons.
Kidd makes $19.7 million this season and $21.3 million next year, the final year of his contract. Kidd, 34, has reportedly been seeking an extension to that deal but so far he and the Nets haven't been able to agree on a price.
That salary itself is not what would be wholly prohibitive for the Cavs, it's finding the assets to pull off such a deal. If the Nets ever got serious about dealing Kidd, they'd like want a star in return or a package of expiring contracts, draft picks and young talent.
All of it would have to add up to least $15 million to work under NBA trade rules. Complicating matters is that the Nets have 14 players under contract, which would make even a 3-for-1 or 4-for-2 player swap hard to pull off.
From the Cavs' perspective, they do not have a star to offer. Any player on the team other than James is available and they could put together a package and include next June's first-round draft pick, young players, and some expiring contracts. Yet several other teams could likely offer better deals.
The Nets, who have toyed with moving Kidd in the past and nearly pulled the trigger on a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, would likely prefer to trade Kidd to the Western Conference. Teams like the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks are believed to have serious interest if Kidd were on the market.
Now that they have the Varejao situation handled, the Cavs are expected to get involved in the trade market as the February deadline approaches. They have been looking for a point guard for the last year and have made at least three serious offers for the Sacramento Kings' Mike Bibby. Now Kidd's name will likely be across their radar. However, a more realistic option at this point may be former Cav Andre Miller, who is now playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers have been reluctant to trade Miller and his $9 million salary recently, but things might be different now that general manager Billy King has been fired and replaced by Ed Stefanski this week. The 76ers are in position to have significant salary-cap space next summer and are going nowhere fast this season.
The Cavs do have some assets, especially the expiring contracts of Ira Newble and Shannon Brown, they could use in a package that could help Philadelphia free up more space. Miller's contract also expires after next season, which keeps the Cavs' plans to retain long-term flexibility in tact.
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
It didn't take long for the Cavaliers to be injected right back into the NBA rumor/speculation machine.
Get the full article here.
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