Devean George's veto power undoubtedly has made one unhappy camper out of Jason Kidd, especially if he heard Mark Cuban's statement that he doesn't believe a deal will get done. That nugget came on the heels of Avery Johnson's little football analogy over lots of deals getting to the red zone but not being punched in.
Kidd would settle for a field goal at this point. Call Lawrence Tynes or Nick Folk; whatever it takes to get him back into a Mavericks uniform.
Rest assured. It will happen. There's too much at stake (money) for it not to.
Take Cuban's doubts with a grain of salt considering that he repeatedly shot down the possibility of this deal being made in recent weeks, telling anyone who would listen that he had no interest in making a move.
Then consider New Jersey will be willing to do whatever it takes to facilitate the move given its desire to grant Kidd his wish and get back on track to financial stability prior to the move to Brooklyn in 2010.
The players involved in this deal already caught wind of the agreement and know there was a pact made in principle to move them from one conference to another. If it doesn't go through, New Jersey essentially forfeited a game in Toronto that could prove pivotal in its playoff chase because it believed Kidd was gone.
If I were betting on the odds of this getting worked out, I'd say Kidd ends up in a Mavericks uniform by Feb. 21. It will take some manuevering, but where there's will there's a way, even with the convoluted hoops you have to navigate to get a trade worked out in the NBA. Count on it.
- News that Hedo Tukoglu had been passed over again for an All-Star berth was met with one massive collective groan following the Nuggets/Magic game tonight. Washington's Caron Butler is out due to his hip flexor issue and Boston's Ray Allen took his spot.
Told you when Rasheed Wallace got the nod that Jesus Shuttlesworth would be next in line.
Nothing against Turkoglu, who is actually having the better season, but for the most part, the league has something of an elitist attitude when it comes to events like these and is probably clinging to the notion that it would like to see him do this again next season before bestowing a coveted roster spot.
That said, if this Kidd deal gets done before Sunday and he winds up a part of the Western Conference All-Star team and pushes the need for the East to increase its roster to 13, Turkoglu should get the call, joined by Toronto's Jose Calderon.
I tried to get a hold of league reps regarding this matter earlier today but didn't have much luck. Given everything that's transpired, it sure would seem weird to see Kidd out there starting alongside Dwyane Wade in the Eastern Conference backcourt.
I'll keep you posted... off to New Orleans at dawn.
