KoriEllis
09-14-2004, 10:03 PM
Nets reportedly in talks to trade Kidd
Deal would send Abdur-Rahim to New Jersey for All-Star guard
msnbc.msn.com/id/6003860/ (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6003860/)
The New Jersey Nets are reportedly looking to trade Jason Kidd to the Portland Trail Blazers.
NBCSports.com news services
The Nets are reportedly talking to the Portland Trail Blazers about trading the All-Star guard for forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Sportsline.com reported.
The Nets, who traded guard Kerry Kittles and lost forward Kenyon Martin to free agency, haven't confirmed talks with the Blazers, but Portland president reportedly Steve Patterson did. He did not say if a deal had been completed.
"It's early," Patterson said. "It's interesting, but I don't know if anything will happen."
The site also reported that the Blazers are getting opinions on Kidd's microfracture surgery on his left knee, which will keep him out until December.
But Kidd has also spent his time trying to work his way out of New Jersey, especially after the Nets failed to retain most of their core group of players in the offseason. New Jersey re-signed forward Richard Jefferson to a six-year, $78 million extension, but that was about it.
Kidd, 31, led the NBA in assists for the fifth time last season, and it was the fifth time he has been selected first-team All-NBA. He came to the Nets before the 2001-02 season in a trade with the Suns, and the Nets won the Eastern Conference in 2002 and 2003, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2002 Finals and the San Antonio Spurs the next year.
Also a former star at Cal, Abdur-Rahim, 28, is a 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward acquired by the Blazers from Atlanta last season with Theo Ratliff and Dan Dickau for Rasheed Wallace. However, after averaging 20.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in his previous seven seasons, he was a bad fit in Portland. He averaged just 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 22.8 minutes a game behind Zach Randolph, the NBA's most improved player.
Abdur-Rahim will make more than $14.6 million in this, the final season of his contract and has made it clear he wants out. The Blazers have tried to talk him into playing small forward next to Randolph, but he isn't really athletic enough to play the small forwards in the West and is a much better fit in the East. And the Blazers just signed small forward Darius Miles to a six-year, $48 million contract.
The Nets had talked to the Blazers about Abdur-Rahim earlier in the summer, with Kittles as the bait, but the deal fell through and Kittles went to the Los Angeles Clippers for a draft choice.
Deal would send Abdur-Rahim to New Jersey for All-Star guard
msnbc.msn.com/id/6003860/ (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6003860/)
The New Jersey Nets are reportedly looking to trade Jason Kidd to the Portland Trail Blazers.
NBCSports.com news services
The Nets are reportedly talking to the Portland Trail Blazers about trading the All-Star guard for forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Sportsline.com reported.
The Nets, who traded guard Kerry Kittles and lost forward Kenyon Martin to free agency, haven't confirmed talks with the Blazers, but Portland president reportedly Steve Patterson did. He did not say if a deal had been completed.
"It's early," Patterson said. "It's interesting, but I don't know if anything will happen."
The site also reported that the Blazers are getting opinions on Kidd's microfracture surgery on his left knee, which will keep him out until December.
But Kidd has also spent his time trying to work his way out of New Jersey, especially after the Nets failed to retain most of their core group of players in the offseason. New Jersey re-signed forward Richard Jefferson to a six-year, $78 million extension, but that was about it.
Kidd, 31, led the NBA in assists for the fifth time last season, and it was the fifth time he has been selected first-team All-NBA. He came to the Nets before the 2001-02 season in a trade with the Suns, and the Nets won the Eastern Conference in 2002 and 2003, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2002 Finals and the San Antonio Spurs the next year.
Also a former star at Cal, Abdur-Rahim, 28, is a 6-foot-10, 240-pound forward acquired by the Blazers from Atlanta last season with Theo Ratliff and Dan Dickau for Rasheed Wallace. However, after averaging 20.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in his previous seven seasons, he was a bad fit in Portland. He averaged just 10.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 22.8 minutes a game behind Zach Randolph, the NBA's most improved player.
Abdur-Rahim will make more than $14.6 million in this, the final season of his contract and has made it clear he wants out. The Blazers have tried to talk him into playing small forward next to Randolph, but he isn't really athletic enough to play the small forwards in the West and is a much better fit in the East. And the Blazers just signed small forward Darius Miles to a six-year, $48 million contract.
The Nets had talked to the Blazers about Abdur-Rahim earlier in the summer, with Kittles as the bait, but the deal fell through and Kittles went to the Los Angeles Clippers for a draft choice.