Post#169 » by El Hardee » Thu Jan 31, 2008 2:43 am
ESPN's John Hollinger via the NY Sun wrote:
Only a few teams can play in that ballpark, so coming up with a trade partner could prove difficult. The Nets are asking for expiring contracts, draft picks, and young talent, but they may have to settle for two out of three.
In the past 48 hours, four possible trade partners have come up repeatedly: Cleveland, Denver, Dallas, and the Lakers. As we're about to see, each one has hurdles that could be insurmountable.
For Dallas, the biggest obstacle is the simple fact that the Mavs don't really need any help at the point. While Kidd would love to go back to where his career began and have a shot at a championship, Dallas' current duo of Devin Harris and Jason Terry are doing quite well, thanks. Thus, there's no urgency on Dallas's part to replace them, especially with a more expensive player. Basically, this looks like a serious long shot.
Cleveland seems only slightly less likely. While the Cavs can easily come up with enough flotsam to offset Kidd's contract, none of those deals expires until the summer of 2009, so the Nets don't save any money. Additionally, the only keeper they could put into a deal is forward Drew Gooden, an effective player, but one who doesn't move pulses in the league's front offices.
In Denver's case, the lure of a Kidd-Iverson backcourt is strong; they're a perfect pairing because they can cross-match on defense and complement each other offensively. But the Nuggets have a problem coming up with $20 million to offset Kidd's contract.
The only way they could do it would be to include Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, or Nene in the trade. Including Iverson or 'Melo would be idiotic from Denver's end
— Mags
