2008 NBA General News Thread

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Jason Kidd Heading to Mavericks

Jason Kidd has quietly -- and not so quietly -- hoped for a trade to the Dallas Mavericks all season.

Sources told ESPN.com that the Mavericks and Nets on Wednesday reached an agreement in principle on a Kidd deal after talks had seemingly stalled last week, moving the teams to brink of completing the NBA's third blockbuster deal of the month.

Although sources say that the teams are still sorting out final details, this deal was described as "imminent" by multiple sources close to the process after negotiations moved to an advanced stage Tuesday night. The deal -- salvaged from talks on a three-way trade with Portland that developed and fizzled quickly two weeks ago -- has Dallas sending 24-year-old point guard Devin Harris, veteran swingman Jerry Stackhouse, the expiring contracts of center DeSagana Diop and swingman Devean George and guard Maurice Ager to New Jersey for Kidd and forward Malik Allen.

Sources say Dallas will also add the league-maximum $3 million in cash and send its first-round draft pick this June as well as a first-rounder in 2010.

The Nets are expected to buy out Stackhouse's contract immediately, which could enable him to re-sign with Dallas if he waits 30 days, and ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reports that the Nets and the Mavs are likewise poised to complete a separate trade that will send swingman Antoine Wright to Dallas for a future second-round pick.

Source: ESPN

Wow...these Western Conference teams are just cleaning up before the trading deadline. Kidd is a future Hall of Famer, but this seems like a steep price for him

[trashtalkr]

Devean George Blocks Trade to Nets for Jason Kidd

With the New Jersey Nets poised to complete a blockbuster deal to send Jason Kidd back to Dallas on Wednesday night, Mavericks reserve forward Devean George has unexpectedly exercised his right to block the trade. Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that the teams verbally agreed to the deal earlier Wednesday and were preparing to submit the trade for league approval when George informed the Mavericks that he wouldn't consent to being included in the deal, which is his right based on a rare provision in his one-year contract.

"Early Bird rights," a provision earned by being in his second year and on his second contract with the Mavericks, made the move possible.

"We're not trying to hold things up or be difficult, but just like teams make tough decisions all the time -- about cutting players or making trades -- they do what's best for their team, and it's my obligation to do what's best for Devean," his agent, Mark Bartelstein, said, according to The Associated Press.

The deal -- salvaged from talks on a three-way trade with Portland that developed and fizzled quickly two weeks ago -- has Dallas sending 24-year-old point guard Devin Harris, veteran swingman Jerry Stackhouse, the expiring contracts of center DeSagana Diop and George and guard Maurice Ager to New Jersey for Kidd and forward Malik Allen.

Sources say Dallas would also send the Nets the league-maximum $3 million, the Mavs' first-round draft pick this June and a first-rounder in 2010.

Source: ESPN

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Mavs Finally Land Kidd

The trade-related limbo that has ensnared the New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks and Jason Kidd for almost a week is finally over.

"It's done," Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told ESPN.com via e-mail Tuesday afternoon. "J-Kidd is a Mav."

The trade of Kidd back to his original team is the second deal that the teams have hashed out since last Wednesday. Both teams had been operating under the assumption they finally had a binding agreement since Monday night, when Kidd was excused from the Nets' first practice after the All-Star break and immediately made plans to travel to Texas on Tuesday.

Those details: Kidd, forward Malik Allen and swingman Antoine Wright sent to Dallas for 24-year-old point guard Devin Harris, center DeSagana Diop, swingman Trenton Hassell, guard Maurice Ager, Keith Van Horn via sign-and-trade, first-round draft picks this June and in 2010 and $3 million in cash. The teams originally planned to move Wright to Dallas in a separate transaction but were able to make the salary-cap math work in a single trade after the deal was reconfigured over the weekend.

Source: ESPN

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Cavs Trade for Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak

The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to have beaten the NBA's annual trade buzzer to get LeBron James some of the fresh help he's been openly craving.

In a three-way, 11-player trade with Chicago and Seattle that has been submitted for league approval, NBA front-office sources say that Cleveland will come away with four new teammates for James, headlined by Ben Wallace from the Bulls and sharpshooter Wally Szczerbiak from the Sonics.

The league office was notified of the deal before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trading deadline, sources said, and is currently reviewing the trade details as required for formal approval.

After Cleveland watched two longstanding trade targets land elsewhere -- Mike Bibby in Atlanta and Jason Kidd in Dallas -- sources say that the deal calls for the Cavaliers to receive Wallace, Szczerbiak, Seattle point guard Delonte West, Chicago's Joe Smith and a future second-round pick from the Bulls.

The Bulls, apparently abandoning their gamble on Wallace less than two seasons into the lucrative four-year deal they used to sign him away from Detroit, would get Cavaliers forward Drew Gooden and swingman Larry Hughes along with Cavs reserves Cedric Simmons and Shannon Brown.

The Sonics, shedding Szczerbiak in the name of additional payroll flexibility, come away with the expiring contracts of Cleveland's Ira Newble and Chicago's Adrian Griffin as well as Cavs veteran Donyell Marshall.

Source: ESPN

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NBA Approves Sonics' Move

NBA owners approved the Seattle SuperSonics' move to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season Friday, pending the resolution of litigation between the team and the city of Seattle.

The Sonics could begin playing in owner Clay Bennett's hometown as early as next season if they can get out of the remaining two years of their lease at KeyArena.

Owners voted 28-2 in favor of the move, with Dallas and Portland voting against. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has previously expressed concerns about the market size, and commissioner David Stern said the Trail Blazers, owned by Paul Allen, didn't say why they voted the way they did.

Seattle has filed suit trying to force the Sonics to remain in the city until the lease expires in 2010, while Bennett wants to buy out the remainder. The city already has rejected Bennett's $26 million to settle the lease dispute. A trial is set to begin in federal court June 16.

The city's hope is to keep the Sonics in town for what would appear to be two lame duck seasons, to buy time for a group led by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to find an arena solution and eventually purchase the team from Bennett to keep them in town.

Source: ESPN

[Splurgercloud]

Hey everyone, pardon my absence, but it's good to be back. Anyhow! This is gonna be a great year for playoff Basketball! I'm a die-hard Laker fan, so I'm digging the #1 seed this year but worry about A.I. and Melo in the first round! Should be some great games.

[trashtalkr]

The Lakers have nothing to worry about when it comes to the Nuggets. They can't play any defense!

[AYHJA]

All the nuggets want to do is run man...Can't beat L.A. at that shit...I don't care what offense they're running...There will be showtime..!

Oh, and the east is worse than reported...Just thought I'd throw that in there...

[Chuckiedoo]

I have school in the morning and it is currently 12:16, but I don't care because the lakers is about to sweep the Nuggets....!!! Game OveR!!!! I'm loving it....

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Larry Brown Reaches Deal to Coach Bobcats

Well-traveled Larry Brown has reached an agreement to return to the NBA as coach of the Charlotte Bobcats, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Monday.

The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has not been made, said Brown was expected to sign a contract on Tuesday. The Bobcats have called an afternoon news conference for what they termed a "major basketball announcement."

The 67-year-old Hall of Famer will be taking over his ninth NBA team, and it will be his first coaching job since a messy exit from the New York Knicks in 2006. Brown will replace Sam Vincent, fired on Saturday after going 32-50 in his one season.

Reached early Tuesday, Vincent said he wasn't surprised that part-owner Michael Jordan decided to bring in a veteran coach.

"Michael never said that he was hiring coach Brown. He just said they were going to make some decisions that were in the best interest of the organization," Vincent said. "So I kind of assumed of going in the direction of hiring a veteran coach and someone who was very popular in the community."

Brown's agent, Joe Glass, refused to confirm or deny that his client was headed to Charlotte.

"I have no information on Larry Brown," Glass said early Tuesday.

Brown won the NBA championship with Detroit in 2004 and the NCAA title with Kansas in 1988. He resigned last week as executive vice president of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Glass indicated Brown wanted to return to coaching.

The move means Bobcats part-owner Michael Jordan has turned to a fellow former North Carolina Tar Heel to try to get the fourth-year Bobcats into the playoffs for the first time. Jordan and Brown both played for former North Carolina coach Dean Smith.

Brown, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002, is one of five NBA coaches with at least 1,000 victories.

Source: ESPN