Good for Jason Kidd. This is what he wanted, to escape New Jersey, where, at this time of year, there is bad weather, a bad smell (hey, you open those windows while driving on the New Jersey Turnpike) and, most importantly, a bad team. Now he is heading back to Dallas, with good weather, a good owner and a good team that certainly has a shot to win a championship. (I'm not really sure how Dallas smells, by the way, but I do sense a nice playoff run coming).

The Mavericks are sending five players, picks and cash to the Nets for the rights to the NBA's No. 3 assist man, and nobody can fault them for it. They are the latest in a line of top Western teams making bold moves. Two of those players, Devin Harris and Jerry Stackhouse, were key members of the team's nightly rotation , but Kidd is No. 15 on the ESPN Player Rater, and rest assured, nobody going to the Nets is ranked anywhere close to that. Fantasy owners expect Kidd to pile on the assists and rebound like a small forward, and he does that. Things shouldn't change very much out West, although Kidd should be happier now. He had two finishers, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter, averaging more than 20 points per game in New Jersey, and the same will hold true with his new team.

Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball player in the NBA who currently plays for the New Jersey Nets. On February 13, 2008, the Nets agreed in principle to send Kidd to the Dallas Mavericks in a trade. However, a no trade clause in Devean George's contract may block the potential deal. [1]

He led the Nets to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances (2002 and 2003) and is considered to be one of the best players of his generation, one of the greatest playmakers in NBA history and also one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. His on-court versatility also makes him a regular triple-double threat, and he is in third place all-time for regular season triple-doubles in the NBA with a career total of 99[2] (as of February 8, 2008) and second in playoffs triple-doubles with a career total of 11 (as of May 12, 2007).

Traded to Dallas

On February 13, 2008, Kidd was traded to the Dallas Mavericks along with Malik Allen for Jerry Stackhouse, Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Devean George, Maurice Ager, $3 million, and two first round picks.