Nets trade Jason Kidd

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - February 19, 2008 The New Jersey Nets and Dallas on Tuesday completed a trade sending the All-Star to the Mavericks, who now have one of the NBA's best point guards as they look toward the playoffs. This will be Kidd's second stint with Dallas.

The eight-player deal, in the making since before the All-Star break, sends Kidd, forward Malik Allen and guard Antoine Wright to Dallas for point guard Devin Harris, center DeSagana Diop and swingman Maurice Ager, plus retired forward Keith Van Horn and Trenton Hassell. New Jersey also gets two first-round draft picks and $3 million.

The Mavericks scheduled an afternoon news conference. Van Horn and Hassell replace Jerry Stackhouse and Devean George in an original trade proposal. Stackhouse's presence in the deal was muddled by plans to get him back to Dallas - within the rules, although in a way the league frowned upon - and George used his veto power to block his involvement.

"He's a once in a lifetime type of guy to play with and coach," Nets coach Lawrence Frank, referring to Kidd. "He's had an unbelievable impact on everyone in this organization and we wish him nothing but the best."

Trade rumors had followed Kidd since last season when the Nets nearly pulled off a deal to send him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Last month he publicly demanded to be traded, starting a new round of rumors that have hung over the team for the last three weeks. New Jersey is 23-30 and tied the Philadelphia for the sixth-best record in the Eastern Conference. The Nets have lost 14 of their last 20 games.

"We were in a holding pattern for so long, now there's no more holding, no more waiting," Frank said. "You've got six or seven teams thirsting for the playoffs, and we're going to have to hit the ground running and adjust, and we're certainly capable of doing that."

Kidd is averaging 11.3 points, 10.3 assists and 8.1 rebounds. Harris, the next most prominent player in the deal, is averaging 14.4 points and 5.3 assists

Kidd spent the first two-plus seasons of his career in Dallas. The Mavs drafted him third overall in 1994 and he was the NBA's co-rookie of the year in 1994-95. He was traded to Phoenix in 1996, then went from the Suns to New Jersey before the 2001-02 season. He helped the Nets reach the NBA finals his first two seasons, but they haven't made a long playoff run since.

The Mavericks have been among the NBA's top teams the last few years, but have fallen short of a title. They're trading Harris' promising future in hopes that Kidd, who turns 35 next month, has enough tenacity and leadership to push them over the top.

Dallas has been eyeing Kidd for a while, and Cuban may have sped up the process after seeing other top Western Conference teams make pivotal additions.This is the third big trade involving a Western Conference power as the teams prepare for the stretch run.

Before the All-Star break, Shaquille O'Neal was dealt from Miami to Phoenix and Pau Gasol went from Memphis to the Los Angeles Lakers.

This Kidd trade seemed done earlier last week until George vetoed it. Stackhouse's talk of being bought out and re-signing with the Mavs also didn't sit well with league officials.

The big winner in this is Van Horn, who has been out of the league the last 1½ seasons. Dallas still owned his rights, so his involvement is essentially to make the numbers work. He'll be signed then traded - and, like Kidd, he'll be heading back to his original team. It seems highly unlikely he'll actually play for the Nets.

Dallas also announced it waived forward Nick Fazekas, the 34thoverall pick in the 2007 draft.