Was No Move A Good Move?
I've waited awhile for the whole Nets trade situation to play out before I decided to weigh in on it. Now, since they decided to go with no trade, I can say that it's a good move.
Jason Kidd should never have been considered trade fodder. I know Bruce Ratner has wanted to strip the Nets down to completely rebuild before he moves the team to Brooklyn. He did that when he didn't re-sign Kenyon Martin years ago. Jason Kidd may be aging and he may be banged up, but he's an excellent player. He notched his ninth triple-double two nights ago, at 34 and banged up. Marcus Williams is not ready to start yet. He's doing really well coming off the bench, but he's not there yet. Jason Kidd is still the man.
Not only is he a key player on the team, but he is the Nets. The Nets sucked before they dealt for Kidd. Then suddenly they're in the Finals and a perennial playoff contender. Trading Kidd would be a kick in the balls to the fans -- fans who somehow have stuck around after the execs decided to uproot the team from Jersey. If I had my way, Kidd would retire a Net.
As for Carter, this was a stickier situation, and if they would have gotten good value, I would have understood. I think the Nets would be better off with Carter on the team. When Richard Jefferson, a scoring threat, is in the lineup, it forces defenses to adjust, leaving open court for Carter.
However, Carter can opt out of his contract at the end of this year, and he has said that he would like to become a free agent. Since the Nets could lose Carter after this season, it'd be understandable if they wanted to get a return on him. But whereas Kidd may be having one of the best years of his career, Carter is not. Executive Rod Thorn couldn't find a team to give what he thought Carter was worth.
That left the Nets with Carter, which is good for the team now, but may end up screwing them in the end because he can walk. The East is so bad the Nets, below .500, can still make the playoffs and with RJ coming back in a few weeks, that is actually possible. With Carter possibly on his way out, a playoff run is vital because in years to come, that can get tougher.
