'I would love to have Kidd,' LeBron says
Cavaliers star wants his team to try to trade for frustrated Nets PG
David Zalubowski / APJason Kidd has said he wants to be traded from the New Jersey Nets.
msnbc.com news services
updated 1:38 p.m. ET Jan. 31, 2008
Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James wants his team to trade for frustrated New Jersey Nets point guard Jason Kidd, who wants out of Jersey.
"I would love to have a guy like Jason Kidd to be a part of this franchise. I think it makes us that much better of a team," LeBron James told the Akron Beacon Journal. "Everyone knows how much I love Jason Kidd, just throughout the summertime [on the national team]. It's not hard to see how much I'd love to have him as part of the team.
"Honestly, when you see Jason Kidd wants to be traded, you shouldn't have to go to the front office and tell them to get on it. It's Jason Kidd."
When asked if getting Kidd could lift the Cavaliers to the NBA title, James replied, "Yeah, it's that easy."
On Wednesday, it was reported that the Nets were discussing a blockbuster, three-way trade involving veteran Kidd, the Dallas Mavericks and the Portland Trail Blazers, The Record of New Jersey reported Wednesday.
The deal, which would involve at least 12 players, draft picks and some cash, according to The Record, would send Kidd to Dallas, the team that originally drafted him out of California.
The Record, citing league sources, reported that New Jersey would land point guard Jarrett Jack and forwards Travis Outlaw and Channing Frye, a No. 1 pick and cash from Portland and forward Devean George, center DeSagana Diop, swingman Jerry Stackhouse, a No. 1 and cash from the Mavericks.
Malik Allen and Darrell Armstrong also would go from the Nets to Dallas, The Record reported, quoting league sources.
According to The Record, the Nets probably would buy out Stackhouse with some of the money they are receiving, but they still would need to make another move before doing the deal. They essentially are trading three players for six, and with 13 players on the roster before the deal, they would have one too many afterwards.
New Jersey, The Record reported, would have to move someone else for a draft pick or a trade exception or waive someone in order to have room on the roster to make the trade work.
According to The Record, apparently Devin Harris of the Mavs would go to Portland, along with other players.
League sources indicated that Nets president Rod Thorn has been working on a deal since Kidd went public Monday with a trade request.
Kidd, 34, is under contract through the end of next season and will make $19.7 million this year and $21.3 million next year.
Kidd may want to leave New Jersey, but that desire apparently isn’t shared by his fans.
Kidd was greeted by the usual loud cheers when he was introduced before Tuesday night’s game against Milwaukee in East Rutherford, N.J., a day after the All-Star point guard publicly demanded to traded.
“We tried to make this work. We’ve found out it doesn’t,” Kidd told ESPN The Magazine on Monday. “It’s time for us all to move on.”
Kidd attended the team’s morning shootaround but did not talk to reporters, and did not answer questions before the game. The slumping Nets have lost nine in a row.
Asked before the game whether he was disappointed that Kidd went public with his opinions, Nets coach Lawrence Frank said, “I don’t personalize it. I’m more disappointed about where we are as a team right now. My job is to get us out of this hole that we’ve dug ourselves.”
Earlier Tuesday, Thorn said he hadn’t talked to Kidd since the remarks were published, and declined to discuss which teams have expressed an interest in the nine-time All-Star. He said he wouldn’t be forced into making a deal.
“The reality is we’re only looking to make deals that make sense for us,” Thorn said. “If every time someone said, ’I want you to trade me,’ you acquiesced, then you put yourself in a very vulnerable position because you have a revolving door.”
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