Mavs, Knicks In J-Kidd Sweepstakes

New York and Dallas have each reportedly offered the point guard a three-year deal

By SCOTT M. CRISP

Updated 1:45 PM CST, Fri, Jul 3, 2009

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With free agents strutting their stuff about the country, general managers and fans (or potential fans) swooning, the NBA’s free agency began on Wednesday, with the Mavericks having a clear priority: to sign Jason Kidd.

Mark Cuban met with Kidd (almost) as soon as he was permitted to by NBA free agency rules, just after midnight on Wednesday in New York.

However, Kidd has also has caught the eye of the New York Knicks; Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni (who coached Kidd in the 2008 Summer Olympics) met with him just after he left Cuban in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

It appears that the two will fight for the thirty-six year-old down to the wire, not unlike the episode of Saved by the Bell in which Zack and Slater fight over the new girl, Joanna. (The fight, if you’ll remember, was a clear-cut draw.)

New York was said to be pleased with Kidd on Wednesday; Mark Cuban seems hell-bent on getting some sort of tangible return on the deal that sent Devin Harris to New Jersey.

Both teams have now offered Kidd three year deals, New York’s being an estimated $12 million less than that of Dallas.

The proverbial ball is now in Kidd’s court; while it would seem that Dallas has the upper hand in the negotiations (a chance to contend and $12 million, for example), New York has one caveat on their side.

Kidd’s children, with his now-ex-wife Joumana, all live in the greater New York area.

This now seems to be the wildcard; Kidd was originally thought of -- assuming he went to New York -- to be something of a bargaining chip when the LeBron James sweepstakes begin next year.

But Shaq in red and gold (and, maybe, a Cavaliers’ championship) might change all that.

Kidd may take a week or more to decide, as deals can’t become official until next Wednesday.