T-Wolves, Knicks & Nets In 3-Way Dance...


...designed to help all parties (except New Jersey)

Minnesota thinks Jason Kidd is the missing link to their championship aspirations. New York (still) wants to dump Kurt Thomas. And New Jersey just wants to shed salary, in this case that of the aging/gimpy Kidd. Ian O'Connor of the Journal News breaks it down thusly:

The Nets' interest in trading Jason Kidd has moved the Knicks closer to exchanging Kurt Thomas for Wally Szczerbiak, according to several NBA sources.

In a three-way scenario shaped by the Minnesota Timberwolves' desire to land Kidd, the Knicks would send Thomas to the Nets and end up with Minnesota's Szczerbiak and New Jersey's Aaron Williams. The Nets also would land the Timberwolves' Sam Cassell and Ervin Johnson as compensation for shipping out Kidd, who is coming off knee surgery and has $90 million left on the $103 million contract he signed last summer.

Isiah Thomas has little love for Kurt Thomas' game and has coveted Szczerbiak, a Long Island native who has long expressed his desire to play for his hometown team. But even though the pure-shooting Szczerbiak would give the Knicks insurance against Allan Houston's knee problems, Minnesota is the team driving this potential deal.



(a trip to Wally World is kind of like visiting Van Hornland, only in guard form)

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has charged his GM, Kevin McHale, to acquire Kidd, according to an NBA executive involved in the talks, and the Nets' All-Star point guard has told management he would accept a trade to Minnesota. With Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles jettisoned in the purge ordered by new owner Bruce Ratner, and with the Nets staring at a series of bleak lame-duck seasons in the Meadowlands before moving to Brooklyn, Kidd wants out in the worst way.

"But is anyone willing to take him and the $90 million after knee surgery?" said one NBA executive with knowledge of the talks. "I wouldn't buy a racehorse that couldn't run, even if it was the greatest racehorse of all time."

Posted: Thu - September 16, 2004 at 11:58 PM      

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