By Steve Popper, The Record (Hackensack N.J.) –
One day after missing out on a 38-year-old point guard, the Knicks went a bit further down the road and agreed to terms with 39-year-old Jason Kidd to a reported three-year deal.
The Knicks struck out on their chase of Steve Nash, but in his place they obtained Kidd in a deal first reported by ESPN.com. While not the offensive player that Nash is anymore, Kidd provides the Knicks with seemingly the perfect template to join the backcourt and mentor Jeremy Lin — if Lin returns.
However, the move may not be so perfect. Kidd, believed to be coming for a total of $9 million, will take up the mini-midlevel salary-cap exception the Knicks held — meaning that they can no longer use it to pick up any of the pieces that they need now. Theoretically, the Knicks could negotiate a sign-and-trade with the Mavs, but barring the unlikely inclusion of Iman Shumpert it’s hard to imagine what would tempt Dallas to aid the Knicks.
Kidd spent the last four-and-a-half seasons in Dallas after being dealt away by the Nets, picking up a championship ring two years ago when he played alongside current Knicks center, Tyson Chandler.
A free agent this summer, he hinted he would be open to almost anything — including joining the Knicks to serve as the floor leader the team needed and a mentor to the 23-year-old Lin.
“That would be a lot of fun, to be able to help a young player like that,” Kidd said in a conference call two weeks ago. “He has all the tools. We saw that before he got hurt. To help him understand it’s a long season, to pace yourself, and that he’s got to work extremely hard. Also, to share the things that help me be successful and help him be a better player.”
Kidd is not the player he once was, playing a career-low 28.7 minutes per game last year in 48 games and also posting career-worst numbers of 6.2 points and 5.5 assists per game.
While Kidd considered the Knicks from the start, he seemed intent on either returning to Dallas, where he had been a key piece to the franchise, or joining his friend, Deron Williams, in Brooklyn.
In New York, he now provides not only a mentor but a player capable of doing what Baron Davis was asked to do last year when Lin went down with a torn meniscus — guide the team on the court. While Davis never got himself healthy enough to contribute on a regular basis, Kidd did play at least 80 games in each of the seven seasons prior to last year’s abbreviated schedule.
“My days of playing 38 minutes are over,” he said, when asked about his role for the upcoming season. “If it’s the backup role, to give (a starter) time to rest.”
He has not been a member of the NBA All-Defensive Team since 2006-07, but is still a fit in the mindset of coach Mike Woodson, who stressed defense far more than his predecessor, Mike D’Antoni. Kidd was a member of the All-Defensive Team nine times in his career.
During his time in New Jersey, he led a squad that could clamp down on opponents almost at will. While he’s not the same player, he certainly is smart enough to help implement that style — and has the respect of the players in the league and on the Knicks’ roster. He also is the consummate point guard, able to distribute the ball and keep all the players in the lineup happy.
