LeBron: Get Kidd, get Cavs NBA title
Posted by Mary Schmitt Boyer January 30, 2008 00:07AM
Categories: Cavaliers
Portland, Ore. -- LeBron James said he hadn't talked to his good friend Jason Kidd on Tuesday, a day after the New Jersey Nets point guard asked to be traded.
James said he hadn't talked to Cavs General Manager Danny Ferry either. He didn't think that was necessary.
"When it gets to a point like that, where 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," James said after the Cavs practiced at the Nike headquarters in preparation for tonight's game against the Trail Blazers. "It's Jason Kidd. It's not someone else asking for a trade. It's Jason Kidd. You shouldn't have to go to anybody in the front office for them to be ready to try to jump on it."
James and Kidd have gotten to know each other through practices for the U.S. Olympic team, and the idea of playing together during the regular season is more than a little appealing.
"Like I've been quoted before, I would love to have a guy like Jason Kidd be a part of this franchise," James said. "It would make us that much better of a team if you get a guy like that. Everyone knows how much I love Jason Kidd. . . . It's not hard to see how much I would love to have him play for this team."
James made it perfectly clear where he stood on the matter.
Asked if getting Kidd would mean an NBA championship for the Cavs, James said emphatically: "Yeah. . . . It's that easy."
Kidd's availability became an issue Monday night, when he told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher on ESPN.com: "We tried to make this work. We've found out it doesn't. It's time for us all to move on."
Reporters descended on the Nets' practice facility for Tuesday's shootaround before the Nets' home game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but Kidd did not address the media at that time. He also did not talk to reporters during the open locker room period before the game.
Nets General Manager Rod Thorn admitted Kidd's request, after the point guard repeatedly denied that he wanted to be traded, probably would hinder the Nets' ability to make a deal.
Thorn did indicate a willingness to try and accommodate Kidd, but it won't be easy to trade the soon-to-be-35-year-old who makes $19.7 million this season and $21.3 million next season. Thorn also said he wouldn't make a deal that wasn't advantageous to his team. The Nets likely are seeking young players and veterans with expiring contracts.
The Cavs have the former but not the latter. Although Ferry declined to comment on the trade rumors as is his custom, he is well aware that his team's name will be mentioned every time a prominent point guard becomes available. It was well known the Cavs tried to acquire Sacramento's Mike Bibby last summer, when they also pursued a number of other free-agent point guards. So it only makes sense they'd be mentioned in talks about Kidd and/or Damon Stoudamire, waived Monday by Memphis. There's still unsigned free agent Earl Boykins as well.
So could the Cavs acquire Kidd? The deal certainly would have to appeal to owner Dan Gilbert, who pledged after last year's appearance in the NBA Finals to do whatever was necessary to improve. The Cavs could offer a package including the improving Larry Hughes, with two years left on the five-year, $60 million he signed before the 2005-06 season, plus Drew Gooden, scheduled to make about $6.4 million this year, and Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, who makes less than $700,000.
The injured Sasha Pavlovic, who re-signed with the Cavs on Nov. 1, could be available, but the injured Anderson Varejao would not be available for trade purposes because he will not have been with the Cavs for 90 days before the Feb. 21 trading deadline. In fact, because of Varejao's injury, it's possible the Cavs might have to look to acquire a forward or center before the trading deadline instead of a guard.
No matter what the circumstances, giving away young talent is never easy. However, chances to get players like Kidd don't come along very often either. Whether Thorn would be willing to trade Kidd to an Eastern Conference team is another question, although it's unlikely the rebuilt Nets would be ready to challenge the Cavs before Kidd's contract was up after next season.
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