Devean George BLOCKS Kidd trade to Dallas - IMO good for Dallas!

[WayOutWest]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3244818

Mavs forward George blocks trade of Kidd to Mavs

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com
(Archive)

Updated: February 13, 2008, 8:57 PM ET

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, according to NBA front-office sources. 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.

No Kidding Around

Jason Kidd, despite being a month away from turning 35, is still producing at a high level. Only two others, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson, have met his averages (below) over the course of a season, and they did so in their early- and mid-20s.
Kidd by the numbers Career 2007-08
Points 14.3 11.3
Assists 9.2 10.4
Rebounds 6.7 8.1
FG Pct. 40.1 *36.6
*Career worst

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.

Kidd was with the Nets in Toronto, but didn't talk to the media before the game. He and Allen were both inactive, along with reserve Antoine Wright.

ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reports that the Nets and the Mavs were likewise poised to complete a separate trade that will send swingman Wright to Dallas for a future second-round pick.

Before Dallas' game against Portland on Wednesday night, Mavs coach Avery Johnson wasn't ready to call the trade complete.

"What trade?" he asked reporters, then added, "all it is is speculation."

Dallas had widely been considered the favorite to win the Kidd trade sweepstakes, despite the repeated attempts of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to publicly dismiss the idea of parting with multiple regulars for Kidd. Cuban told several New York-based reporters before New Jersey beat Dallas on Sunday that a deal for All-Star floor leader would severely weaken his roster.

"For us to make the numbers work in a deal like that, we'd have to trade away half the team," Cuban said. "We're not doing that, so it just doesn't work. And we like our team. We've got a lot of room for improvement and we hope to get better. But right now, I just don't see anything happening.

Yet sources close to the process insist that the talks had heated up within the past 24 hours, with the Mavs still tantalized by the prospect of bringing Kidd back more than a decade after the pre-Cuban regime drafted him out of Cal, watched him share rookie of the year honors with Grant Hill in 1994-95 and then traded him to Phoenix on the day after Christmas in 1996.

Stackhouse's agent told him he was on the move.

"Now I think it's pretty much a done deal," Stackhouse told The Associated Press earlier Wednesday.

The Nets were expected to buy out Stackhouse's contract immediately, which would have enabled him to re-sign with Dallas if he waits 30 days.

"I feel great. I get 30 days to rest, then I'll be right back," Stackhouse said. "I ain't going nowhere."

That might be more true than he knew.

[jn]

Broussard mentioned that George is doing it because it he is traded he loses his Larry Bird Exemption.

[ziggy]

Broussard mentioned that George is doing it because it he is traded he loses his Larry Bird Exemption.

I may be mistaken, but I believe he is mistaken.  The Bird rights are attached to the contract, so if you are traded the contract goes with you, and so do the Bird rights.  If you are bought out then the contract doesn't go with you, and the Bird rights are terminated.

[Derek Bodner]

I may be mistaken, but I believe he is mistaken

You are correct.  he retains his bird rights when traded.

[Lurker]

Broussard mentioned that George is doing it because it he is traded he loses his Larry Bird Exemption.

I may be mistaken, but I believe he is mistaken.  The Bird rights are attached to the contract, so if you are traded the contract goes with you, and so do the Bird rights.  If you are bought out then the contract doesn't go with you, and the Bird rights are terminated.

He will also lose his bird rights if waived.  The problem is that Devean's bird rights are worthless.  Who would offer him more than the MLE anyway?

[Lurker]

Here is some more form ESPN...

But an obscure rule, as opposed to a no-trade clause, enabled George to put the league's third blockbuster trade already this month on hold, at least for the moment.

Although Kobe Bryant is the only player in the league with a specific no-trade clause in his contract, league rules dictate that players on a one-year contract -- but who are also eligible for Early Bird free-agent rights at the end of the contract -- cannot be traded without their consent. George, who earns $2.4 million this season, is one of 18 such players in the league at present, afforded the right to either approve or veto trades because those Bird rights are lost if they do get traded.

and...

But George would figure to face an uncomfortable future with his teammates, coaches and bosses if he does prevent Kidd's return by staying with the Mavs, which has some team insiders optimistic that the 30-year-old will eventually accept his move to New Jersey. It might already be uncomfortable for George with Mavs fans, some of whom booed and heckled him during the late stages of an 0-for-11 shooting night in Dallas' 96-76 win over the Blazers after news of George's stance began to spread.
George said: "Fans were like, 'C'mon, what are you doing? Stop it. You're holding things up. ... Quit being selfish. C'mon, we want Kidd.'"

Before his flight to Dallas, Bartelstein told ESPN.com by phone: "We're not trying to block anything. The issue is that if he agrees to this deal, he has to give up his Bird rights. To lose that tool in today's world of free agency is a difficult thing to do. In this day and age, the sign-and-trade is a valuable tool that I don't want to lose for Devean. We're not trying to cause a problem. Teams have to do what's in their best interest. Sometimes players do, too. I hate to cause grief, but I have to do what's best for Devean. It's not a power play. My job is to protect him."

But the real reason was to keep the all star game in tact.  Because Kidd was voted a starter for the east...and had more votes than Iverson who is starting for the west.  So the problem would be either who gets cut from the west or to exclude Kidd altogether.  This way Kidd is still officially in the east for this weekends all star game.  Collusion 2008 is alive...even ex-Lakers still bow down to Sternfish.

[westkoast]

All hail the mighty Sternfish...the all powerful figure in the shadows that makes the world turn in the NBA.  It wasn't Devean George who blocked the trade.  Sternfish sent some goons to George and told him he needs to take the fall as to not expose the corruption and strength of the almighty Sternfish when it comes to trades.  Since Sternfish HATES Mark Cuban he had to make sure he didn't get Jason Kidd.  Collusion 2008 alias needs to be used now!

Ok now back to being sane...George is a moron.  He said "increase my playing time or trade me" so they go to trade him and now he's holding it up?  He's an insignificant player in the NBA yet he wants to hold up a blockbuster deal that could help Dallas get a ring this year.  I don't buy the crappy excuse.  If anything it would make sense for him to say 'If I go to Jersey I'll have to play behind either Richard Jefferson or Vince Carter for minutes'  That makes more sense to me.  He wouldn't get more playing time in the deal.  Nooooo it has to do with Bird rights as if people are busting down the door to add a weak jumper shooter who has always had an attitude problem, always over valued himself, and is a poor defender.

Btw...as a Laker fan I am excited to see these teams go all in for this season.  Even if the Lakers do not get it done in the playoffs this year they have a solid core for quite a few years.  Teams like PHX and Dallas are giving up a lot to get players who are going to be able to play at a high level for 2 more years.

[WayOutWest]

Btw...as a Laker fan I am excited to see these teams go all in for this season.  Even if the Lakers do not get it done in the playoffs this year they have a solid core for quite a few years.  Teams like PHX and Dallas are giving up a lot to get players who are going to be able to play at a high level for 2 more years.

I was thinking about all the "moves" in the WC yesterday and the thought occured to me that solid teams that held steady through the storm, Spurs and Jazz, might be the ones that really improved.  While there is very little risk involved with the Gasol trade, the Shaq and Kidd trades are high risk that might overall hurt the playoff chances of those teams IMO.  I can just imagine Popovich and Sloan smirking at all the panic moves in the West since the two biggest threats in the west might have just screwed themselves.  Gasols defense and rebounding is a REAL concern for me agaisnt teams like the Spurs and Jazz, but overall the Lakers have greatly improved and they are a true contender.

Yes the Lakers SHOULD be good for years to come, but so should the Jazz, Blazers and Nuggets.

[Derek Bodner]

I stand corrected.  Here's the rule straight from the horses mouth (NBA CBA):
http://www.nbpa.com/cba_articles/article-VII_8.php

(b) A player with a one-year Contract (excluding any Option Year) who would be a Qualifying Veteran Free Agent or an Early Qualifying Veteran Free Agent upon completing the playing services called for under his Contract cannot be traded without the player?s consent. Should the player consent and be traded, then, for purposes of determining whether the player is a Qualifying Veteran Free Agent, Early Qualifying Veteran Free Agent or Non-Qualifying Veteran Free Agent at the conclusion of the Contract or any subsequent Contract between the player and the assignee Team, the player shall be considered as having changed Teams by means of signing a Contract with the assignee Team as a Free Agent (and not by means of trade).