Blazers almost had Kidd...

[Spykes]

http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2008/0 ... trade.html

If Rod Thorn had had his way, Jason Kidd would be in Portland right now, and the Nets point guard of the future would be Jarrett Jack....

Thorn would only identify the team as "a midlevel team out west," but several league officials confirmed it as the Trail Blazers -- which, in fact, is the only midlevel team out west nowadays.

The Blazers were to send Jack and Raef LaFrentz to the Nets along with other cap-fillers for Kidd, but the Nets captain sabotaged the deal by publicly requesting a deal on Jan. 28 -- either inadvertently or otherwise.

According to those league officials, who chose to remain anonymous in order to avoid meddling in Portland's affairs, the Blazers never wanted to assist Dallas in obtaining Kidd; they wanted the 34-year-old point guard for themselves to help raise a team of promising kids in the midst of a 3-5 slide.

But as soon as Kidd announced that he could no longer play in New Jersey, Blazers officials concluded that he wouldn't be content playing for an up-and-coming team in Portland, either.

[Wizenheimer]

so Rod Thorn was OK with shipping out Kidd for Jack and LaFrentz???

I wonder what the "cap fillers" were?

Kidd's salary is 19.728 million.

That would mean Portland would have to send back 15.7 million in salary to meet the 125% + $100,000 rule. I believe Portland still has a little over $100,000 in TPE left from the NY trade as well.

So Lafrentz and Jack total 13.6 million so Portland would have to come up with 2 million more in 'filler'

I guess it could be accomplished with Lafrentz, Jack, and Frye for Kidd and Malik Allen.

And Thorn was OK with that while KP backed out??...hard to believe

[Spykes]

Bill Simmons is also reporting that the Blazers made a strong push for Kidd, but once Kidd got wind of the deal, he made it known he didn't want to play in Portland.

Simmons even gives one of his patented "trade ideas", which is naturally WAY off... It doesn't even involve Jack. Plus, he once again, has us trading Fernandez. Does he just really not want us to have this guy?!?!

Anyway, outside of that, Simmons gives us a nice plug saying that Kidd would have had a better supporting cast in Portland than he'll have in Dallas.

One other note on Kidd that everyone missed: The most logical home for him was Portland. From what I was told by multiple people in New Orleans, the Blazers made a strong push, and Kidd made it clear to everyone involved he didn't want to play there. Now, I don't know the exact trade offer, but I'm assuming it was something like this: Kidd and a smaller contract (somebody like Antoine Wright) for Raef LaFrentz (monster contract expiring in 2009), Steve Blake ($13 million total for this year and the next two), the rights to Rudy Fernandez, a lottery-protected No. 1 and $3 million -- which would have pushed Portland into the playoffs this season (even at this point of his career, Kidd is a significant upgrade over Jarrett Jack and Blake) and made the Blazers a genuine contender if/when Greg Oden comes back strong next season.

Here's the irony: Kidd didn't want to play in Portland because he wanted to win a title and, by all accounts, his heart was set on playing in Dallas. Fine. But just for the hell of it, let's say the Blazers swung the Kidd deal and signed Antawn Jamison for their entire mid-level this summer, giving them a nucleus of Roy, Oden, Kidd, Jamison, LaMarcus Aldridge, Travis Outlaw, Martell Webster, Jarrett Jack and Joel Przybilla next season. Um, wouldn't the '09 Blazers have had a higher ceiling than the '08 or '09 Mavs? Wouldn't that have been a better fit for Kidd because those Blazers could have run with them?

Anyway, here's my prediction: Kidd will look back at this some day and think to himself, "Damn, I should have gone to Portland."

(P.S.: Don't rule out the chance of Dallas missing the playoffs, which would be the ultimate irony here. Right now, there's going to be a 48- to 50-win team that finishes ninth, and from what I've seen, it's between Houston, Dallas and Denver for that spot. Everyone else is getting in. Can you imagine? Dallas making the Kidd trade and MISSING the playoffs?)

http://www.realgm.com/boards/posting.ph ... y&t=765833

[Spykes]

And Thorn was OK with that while KP backed out??...hard to believe

No, both Thorn and KP were OK with the deal, it was Kidd who nixed it. The Blazers were the ones making the push for Kidd and Thorn was willing to go ahead with it, but once Kidd caught heard about it, he killed it by going public and listing the only 3 team he was willing to goto.

I guess he just really had his heart set on going to Dallas.

[sabi]

If Thorn wanted Portland's deal instead of Dallas', couldn't we have done a three-way where the the Nets got Jack, Dallas got Kidd, and we got Harris?

[JD45]

There were probably other players of value and picks going to NJN as well, if Thorn preferred it to what Dallas was offering.

However, this may open the door for Portland to get Harris before the draft or in the summer.

[Ripcity4life]

What worries me is the fact the Blazers were even WILLING to include Rudy. ( Assuming this is true )

This is making me think the Blazers might not be as sure as they once were that Rudy is indeed coming over. I am not going to push the panic button like some did when that Rudy piece came out a few weeks ago. However hearing this i am now wondering if Rudy will be in a Blazer Uniform next season.

[Wizenheimer]

What worries me is the fact the Blazers were even WILLING to include Rudy. ( Assuming this is true )

This is making me think the Blazers might not be as sure as they once were that Rudy is indeed coming over. I am not going to push the panic button like some did when that Rudy piece came out a few weeks ago. However hearing this i am now wondering if Rudy will be in a Blazer Uniform next season.

The article Spykes quoted didn't include Rudy...that was just Simmons spewing out some canzano-like conjecture on what the package was.

[Spykes]

What worries me is the fact the Blazers were even WILLING to include Rudy. ( Assuming this is true )

This is making me think the Blazers might not be as sure as they once were that Rudy is indeed coming over. I am not going to push the panic button like some did when that Rudy piece came out a few weeks ago. However hearing this i am now wondering if Rudy will be in a Blazer Uniform next season.

The Blazers weren't willing to give up Rudy. You need to read the articles a little more carefully. In the first paragraph of Simmons' article, he specifically says "Now, I don't know the exact trade offer, but I'm assuming it was something like this:". He's just making it up. And for some reason, he really wants Portland to get rid of Rudy, because this is like the 2nd or 3rd time he's suggested we trade him in one of his awful trade ideas.

If Thorn wanted Portland's deal instead of Dallas', couldn't we have done a three-way where the the Nets got Jack, Dallas got Kidd, and we got Harris?

I think this is probably how the whole 3 way rumor came to be. Portland tried to get Kidd, Kidd nixed the deal and said he wanted to goto Dallas, then the Blazers and Nets tried to turn it into a 3 way deal. As far as why that fell apart, who knows?

[PDXKnight]

Wow, that would've been a nice deal. All the blazers would have dealt is Jack and Lafrentz (maybe a bit more) for a very good veteran in kidd. granted, he'd only be here two years but he would have been a very nice addition.

[Mr Odd]

If Thorn wanted Portland's deal instead of Dallas', couldn't we have done a three-way where the the Nets got Jack, Dallas got Kidd, and we got Harris?

+1

[Goldbum]

http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2008/0 ... trade.html

Jarrett Jack plus Frye for Devin this summer?

[Spykes]

http://www.nj.com/nets/index.ssf/2008/02/vocal_kidd_hindered_trade.html

Jarrett Jack plus Frye for Devin this summer?

Nah, wont happen. Unless Devin Harris really is serious dud in NJ, the Nets won't look to move him.

[d-train]

If Thorn wanted Portland's deal instead of Dallas', couldn't we have done a three-way where the the Nets got Jack, Dallas got Kidd, and we got Harris?

Pritchard probably isn't willing to do any trade that adversely affects his 2009 FA plans.

[ph1sh55]

-= original quote snipped =-


Pritchard probably isn't willing to do any trade that adversely affects his 2009 FA plans.

haha you're kidding. That has no basis in reality, he's not going pass up a trade that gets us the piece he thinks will let us win a championship. The 2009 plan is simply the fallback should that not be achievable via trade.

[BlackMamba]

well, kidd would help for maybe just 2 or 3 years MAX.

[d-train]

-= original quote snipped =-


haha you're kidding. That has no basis in reality, he's not going pass up a trade that gets us the piece he thinks will let us win a championship. The 2009 plan is simply the fallback should that not be achievable via trade.

You think Harris is the piece we need to win a championship.

[Mr Odd]

-= original quote snipped =-


You think Harris is the piece we need to win a championship.

Pieces like that are most always drafted.
Harris would be a upgrade tho!!


Enough upgrades can win a championship.

[d-train]

-= original quote snipped =-



Pieces like that are most always drafted.
Harris would be a upgrade tho!!

Yes, but Pritchard has to decide if it is an upgrade worth making at the cost of an all-star FA in 2009.

Edit: Pritchard may prefer Kidd over Harris because Kidd's contract expires at the right time.

[Butter]

-= original quote snipped =-



Nah, wont happen. Unless Devin Harris really is serious dud in NJ, the Nets won't look to move him.

Well, Marcus Williams has 12 assists with 8 minutes left in the 4th quarter, and it doesn't look like Harris has played at all?