Kawshen
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|  #1 Posted on 11.7.03 1216.23
Reposted on: 11.7.10 1216.54 | http://www.nydailynews.com/front/breaking_news/story/99941p-90391c.html
All-Star point guard Jason Kidd has agreed to re-sign with the New Jersey Nets, who’ll also add free-agent center Alonzo Mourning, a person familiar with the situation said.
Kidd chose to remain in New Jersey rather than sign with the San Antonio Spurs, who offered him a six-year, $99 million contract, said the person, who asked not to be identified.
Free agents can’t sign contracts until Wednesday.
Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford said neither Kidd nor his agent, Jeff Schwartz, have told him anything.
“I haven’t heard,” Buford said.
Schwartz didn’t return messages left at his office or on his mobile phone. Nets spokesman Gary Sussman and Jeff Wechsler, Mourning’s agent, declined to comment. Reached at home Mourning’s wife, Tracy, said her husband wouldn’t comment.
Keeping the 30-year-old Kidd is paramount to the Nets. Prior to his arrival in 2001, the franchise had won only one playoff series since it joined the National Basketball Association for the 1976-77 season.
In his two years with the team, Kidd led the Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals, losing to the Lakers and Spurs. In San Antonio, Kidd would have played alongside Tim Duncan, the league’s two-time Most Valuable Player.
Under NBA rules, free agents were allowed to begin negotiations with new teams on July 1, and can’t sign contracts until Wednesday.
Kidd averaged a team-leading 18.7 points, 8.9 assists and 6.3 rebounds last season.
Mourning is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year who has missed much of the past two seasons with a kidney disorder.
Kidd’s decision to stay comes a day after several published reports said he would only remain in New Jersey if the Nets fired coach Byron Scott. Nets President Rod Thorn denied that Kidd ever made such a demand.
The 33-year-old Mourning spent the previous eight seasons with the Miami Heat.
It's a shame Dikembe Mutombo is a shell of his former self b/c Mourning and him would have been an awesome 4 and 5 together.
(edited by Kawshen on 11.7.03 1317) | Promote this thread! |             | Chico Santana
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| #2 Posted on 11.7.03 1310.20
Reposted on: 11.7.10 1310.29 | | ESPNews is jumping on this wagon now. They are saying an NBA official they talk to has conversed with Zo's agent, and has confirmed the deal. Mark Cubin of the Mavs is saying Zo is off the market now also. I wonder if Scott and Kidd will get along? | dunkndollaz
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| #3 Posted on 11.7.03 1335.16
Reposted on: 11.7.10 1340.22 | WFAN in NYC has been all over this all day. So what happens with Dikembe and his monster contract ? Who do you trade - Jason Collins or Aaron Williams ?
and Rod Thorn categorically denied the Kidd-Byron story which means there probably was one but they bought Kidd off for a year by giving him Zo to play with. | Grimis
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| #4 Posted on 11.7.03 1352.02
Reposted on: 11.7.10 1352.51 | | Looks like the Nets actually could be a good team instead of the best team in a lame conference...good for them. | tomvejada
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| #5 Posted on 11.7.03 1713.44
Reposted on: 11.7.10 1715.00 | Jason Kidd made the right decision. Looks like the Nets are Eastern Conference favorites again.
I guess that means Collins will be a back-up. I don't think Mutombo will be back after what happened in the playoffs.
(edited by tomvejada on 11.7.03 1621) | Firecracker
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| #6 Posted on 11.7.03 1847.46
Reposted on: 11.7.10 1849.33 | | I'm saddened to hear that Zo is leaving my beloved Heat. Not a big surprise, but as Mourning said on the local TV sports shows, loyalty doesn't run far in basketball. | Ubermonkeys
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| #7 Posted on 11.7.03 1938.33
Reposted on: 11.7.10 1939.01 | I think Zo's agent was quoted on ESPN dot com as saying that he and Mourning were baffled that the Heat hadn't even made a contract offer to re-sign him, so I guess everybody just saw the writing on the wall.
On a dumb note, if you're running a franchise with what's looking to be a shitty year ahead of you (looking at you, Heat), why not cut some dead wood and sign a few of the street ball guys that have been all over television lately? If you can't sell your team on being a winner, why not try to sell some entertainment?
This has been Vince McMahon. Thank you. | Texas Kelly
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| #8 Posted on 11.7.03 2141.10
Reposted on: 11.7.10 2144.27 | tomjevada: Actually, I'd bank on Mutombo being the starter again and either Collins or Williams getting traded since Deke and Zo are good friends. Scott said as much a month ago that Deke would start again once the season started (and that he merely left Collins in to prevent disturbing the chemistry, which did work for the most part, since they won 10 straight in the playoffs in which Deke didn't play).
Kidd
Jefferson
Martin
Mourning
Mutombo
Not bad, not bad at all. | Chico Santana
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| #9 Posted on 12.7.03 1307.22
Reposted on: 12.7.10 1307.58 |
Originally posted by Ubermonkeys
On a dumb note, if you're running a franchise with what's looking to be a shitty year ahead of you (looking at you, Heat), why not cut some dead wood and sign a few of the street ball guys that have been all over television lately? If you can't sell your team on being a winner, why not try to sell some entertainment?
This has been Vince McMahon. Thank you.
I think that is a great idea! If your gonna lose, why not have fun. It might be to rebellious in the ABA style, to get away with it in the NBA. | kazhayashi81
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|  #10 Posted on 13.7.03 0052.24
Reposted on: 13.7.10 0052.30 | | This might be the conspiracy theorist in me, but I think the NBA has their hands in the free agent pot... O'Neal stays in the East, Mourning stays in the East... Kidd stays in the East.... but the Lakers sign Malone and Payton? This would say that the Lakers would be the only one of the "Big 4" to get better.. and did you see the ratings of the last Finals? | JayJayDean
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| #11 Posted on 13.7.03 0101.08
Reposted on: 13.7.10 0101.52 |
Originally posted by kazhayashi81
This might be the conspiracy theorist in me, but I think the NBA has their hands in the free agent pot... O'Neal stays in the East, Mourning stays in the East... Kidd stays in the East.... but the Lakers sign Malone and Payton? This would say that the Lakers would be the only one of the "Big 4" to get better.. and did you see the ratings of the last Finals?
I think you are reading WAAAAY to much into things. Let's review:
Malone + Payton: Deliberately turned down greater $$$ for a chance to win title
Jermaine: Got the max deal from Indiana, which was $30 mil more than any other team could offer
'Zo: From east coast, played at Georgetown (in DC), has played for only East teams, PLUS it's a much easier road to the finals through the East vs. if he signed with Spurs or Mavs to get beat in West Finals or sooner
Kidd: Gets more $$$ to stay (like Jermaine), gets upgrade at center, easier road to Finals
The NBA has no control over things, except to make the rules to encourage players to sign with their current teams, which they have in place and worked for Jermaine and PJ Brown. If they did, the top 4 team in the NBA would not all be in the West, and surely you wouldn't have the East as the JV conference. | tshman122
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| #12 Posted on 13.7.03 1952.54
Reposted on: 13.7.10 1952.55 | | Yea David Stern made thoes players stay. If the NBA had any control over anything do you think the final would have been between San An and New Jersey cmon. If they did it would be big markets every year and it isnt. | drjayphd
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| #13 Posted on 13.7.03 2056.37
Reposted on: 13.7.10 2056.51 | David Stern didn't do shit. JJD's got it nailed... if he could have any say in personnel, the East would be dominant, and the Knicks would be the ones stomping all over everyone. It's a combination of the Bird exemptions and something maybe resembling parity that leads to free agents not going anywhere. Besides, if he had his way, don't you think the WNBA would be semi-viable?
Kidd needed an upgrade at center to get over the hump and win, and try and tell me Alonzo, even at maybe 75%, isn't a huge upgrade. PJ Brown stuck with the Hornets because they're a perennial playoff team, and they've got what most teams in the East don't: size. They move to the West after next season, and they won't be screwed. They'll have a playmaker at the point, a good frontline... they won't tear the West up, but they can hold their own. | | ALL ORIGINAL POSTS IN THIS THREAD ARE NOW AVAILABLE |
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