Jason Kidd Trade Is a Bad One for Dallas - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

After Mark Cuban just the other day said he wouldn't trade away half his team for Jason Kidd, it appears that he's done (or is on the verge of doing) exactly that. With the Lakers and Suns making huge additions -- both literally and figuratively -- to their rosters, it seems like Dallas just wasn't willing to wait and see if their roster, once healthy, could compete with these clubs for a title. Sure the Mavericks have their share of issues, but as I see it, the addition of Kidd doesn't help to solve any of them.

The Mavericks' problems this year have been a lack of depth and too many injuries, which together can make for a deadly combination. Just look at the Mavs' last game against the Sixers, where they managed to score only 23 points in the entire second half. That's what happens when Jerry Stackhouse, Devin Harris, and Erick Dampier all sit with injuries, and you're left with the likes of Devean George and DeSagana Diop in your starting lineup. But despite all that, Dallas still has a 34-17 record, currently good for third in the West. When considering the fact that both Harris and Stack -- two main rotation guys -- were both expected back in the next couple of weeks, it seems that the injury portion of Dallas' problems would have worked itself out rather quickly.

Let's discuss the Mavericks' depth, or at this point, their lack of it. By giving up George, Diop, and Stack, and Harris, it's basically a four-for-one swap. Because all four of those guys (when healthy) get some minutes for Dallas, and they're only getting back one guy who is likely to see the court. The Mavs are also now extremely thin at the five spot, with only Dampier being a legitimate fit for that position. Not that Diop is all that great, but at least he's a seven-footer (with six fouls to give) who can bother the likes of Shaq, Duncan, Bynum, and Gasol. Who's going to guard those guys once Dampier gets into foul trouble? Six-foot-eight Brandon Bass? Dirk? Newly-acquired Malik Allen? It's a tough question, and one that Avery Johnson is going to need to find an answer for almost immediately.

The crux of the trade though comes down to this: right now, do you think Jason Kidd is better than Devin Harris? Obviously the Mavs think that Kidd's passing, rebounding, and veteran leadership are the missing pieces to their championship puzzle, but just about all the numbers say otherwise. John Hollinger has a variety of statistical points showing how Harris is more productive than Kidd, on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that Harris is 10 years younger than Kidd. This is obviously a move to win right-effing-now by Dallas, with absolutely no regard for the team's future.

There's one little loophole that in my mind could save this trade from being a complete disaster for Dallas, and that's the possibility of getting Jerry Stackhouse back on their roster. How could this happen? The Nets are rumored to be interested in buying out Stack's contract before he ever plays for them, which would make him an unrestricted free agent. After a 30-day waiting period, Stack could return to Dallas. Getting to keep a veteran scorer like Stack around would make this a lot less painful for the Mavs, especially come playoff time. And then of course the depth issue wouldn't be so dire, either.

Overall though, I just can't see this deal as making things any better for the Mavs. Based on the decision to trade Devin Harris -- a point guard who has better numbers than Kidd and who's 10 years younger -- along with some much-needed depth for basically the hope that Kidd's intangibles will put them over the top come playoff time, I'm just not seeing this as a positive move for Dallas. And if they don't get that championship with Kidd over the next couple of seasons, they're seriously going to wish they hadn't given up on a rising star like Harris, who could have been the leader of their team for several years to come. I think that once the season has been played out, it will show that this was a total panic deal by Dallas. One that was brought on by the recent moves of the Lakers and Suns, and one that the Mavericks will surely live to regret.