KIDD BACK IN BIG-D

New Jersey Nets traded Jason Kidd, Malik Allen and Antoine Wright to Dallas Mavericks for Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Maurice Ager, Keith Van Horn, Trenton Hassell, two first-round draft choices in 2008 and 2010 and $3 million.

What does it give the Dallas Mavericks
He's almost 35, but Kidd is actually the perfect player to help the Mavs win a championship. Why? Because he provides two things Dallas has sorely lacked in recent years: clutch leadership, and assists. For ages the Mavs have been one of the worst-passing teams in the league, and Kidd will make them one of the best. He'll also take over when it matters, and will be the engine of any run to the Finals. Allen gives Dallas depth at center behind Erick Dampier, and Wright is a nice pickup who helps replace the bench depth they lose in Hassell and Ager. Overall, a great deal for the Mavs.

What does it give the New Jersey Nets
All things considered, Jersey did pretty well here. While Harris won't likely be the star Kidd is, he is an underrated overall point guard who can lead the team for the next decade. Meanwhile Diop may be a nice sleeper at center, and will certainly help shore up an area of long-standing weakness for the Nets. Ager has some talent and Hassell and Van Horn are somewhat throw-ins to make the money work. With Van Horn's deal set to expire, the Nets will free up millions for next year's salary cap, which will help them sign a quality free agent. The cash and draft picks are nice additions (altough the picks won't likely be great because the Mavs are always contenders). Still, this is not a bad deal for Jersey, which got two Finals appearances out of Kidd and did pretty well considering their hands were somewhat tied by his trade request.

Fantasy impact