Jason Kidd to Dallas?

year, there is bad weather, a bad smell (hey, you open those windows while driving on the New Jersey Turnpike) and, most importantly, a bad team. Now he is heading back to Dallas, with good weather, a good owner and a good team that certainly has a shot to win a championship. (I'm not really sure how Dallas smells, by the way, but I do sense a nice playoff run coming).

The Mavericks are sending five players, picks and cash to the Nets for the rights to the NBA's No. 3 assist man, and nobody can fault them for it. They are the latest in a line of top Western teams making bold moves. Two of those players, Devin Harris and Jerry Stackhouse, were key members of the team's nightly rotation , but Kidd is No. 15 on the ESPN Player Rater, and rest assured, nobody going to the Nets is ranked anywhere close to that. Fantasy owners expect Kidd to pile on the assists and rebound like a small forward, and he does that. Things shouldn't change very much out West, although Kidd should be happier now. He had two finishers, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter, averaging more than 20 points per game in New Jersey, and the same will hold true with his new team.

Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard currently are the main scorers in Mark Cuban's investment, and if anything, their production could rise a bit. Harris was leading the team in assists with 5.3 per game, and Kidd could double that by himself. Kidd is one of the top passers of this generation and gets the ball to the right places, and, of course, he can lead a fast break. His presence could reinvigorate Nowitzki, who is having his worst statistical season in four years.

Just know that if you are thinking of dealing the farm for Kidd in your fantasy league, changing uniforms won't change his shot. He is not a good shooter, in case you thought his .366 field goal percentage was a fluke. It's a bit low, even for him, but the best he has shot since 1999 is .414. So his percentage might increase a bit, but he's not Amare Stoudemire. Kidd contributes in 3s and ranks in the top 20 in steals, and for those who get extra points for triple-doubles, Kidd is your man. Those numbers shouldn't change much in Dallas, either.

Really, it's all good for the Mavericks. Harris was the starting point guard; Kidd replaces him. Jason Terry generally comes off the bench, and that should continue. Lest you think Terry's assists soon will drop, note that he was getting merely 3.3 per game. He's a shooter. Stackhouse was playing 24 minutes off the bench, but he hadn't played much in the past three weeks. It's unlikely the Nets will even keep him around; the rumor is Stackhouse will be waived and return to the Mavericks in 30 days. Maybe he'll be healthy by then.

Jose Juan Barea has been starting at shooting guard for Dallas, and Brandon Bass has emerged as a productive frontcourt player. The players who are leaving shouldn't be missed too much. DeSagana Diop was a shot-blocking presence, leaving the team with only Erick Dampier to handle those chores, but one doesn't halt a trade like this over something like that. Dampier simply will need to step up, especially when Shaquille O'Neal is a potential playoff opponent.

Nets fans shouldn't expect to see more than 20 minutes of Diop per night, especially with the recent revelations that Nenad Krstic is nearly ready to start playing major minutes. The additions of Devean George and Maurice Ager shouldn't add to Nets season ticket sales tomorrow. I wouldn't call any Mavericks (or Nets, for that matter) must-pickups because of any opportunities provided by this deal.

In New Jersey, Jefferson and Carter are left behind for a 23-29 team that actually is the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. How proud the team must be. Harris was drafted from Wisconsin as a point guard and could emerge as a better fantasy player with more minutes and more assists, but there's no guarantee. The Nets, even with distributor Kidd, were No. 28 in the league in scoring. Dallas should get to the top 10 after this deal.

Harris' 5.3 assists per game (incidentally, easily a career best) won't cut it in fantasy. And it's not like Harris suddenly will score 20 points per night, either, not with Jefferson and Carter demanding shots. Harris' first problem is to get healthy; he suffered a left ankle bone bruise in January and is expected to be ready to play after the All-Star break. His second problem will be if the slower Nets look to the future and bypass him as a starter for Marcus Williams, the second-year point from Connecticut who deserves a look.

Williams hasn't received many minutes this season, but Kidd wasn't sitting much. Darrell Armstrong is another option at the point, but he never was much of a shooter, and he's 39. He could see a bump in minutes, but it's unlikely he'll do a whole lot with them.


Jason Kidd misses triple-double, leads Nets over Minnesota for 3rd ...

Jason Kidd Traded to Dallas: The West Just Got Wilder

Nets trade Jason Kidd to Dallas

Jason Kidd to Dallas? West just keeps getting tougher

Go West, Old Man: Jason Kidd heading back to Dallas