Tuffy’s Refrigerator Logic

Two ships on opposite coasts pass in the night in beautiful East Rutherford, NJ, on Tuesday as the Nets and Lakers clas… mee.. as the Lakers arrive to collect the Nets’ lunch money without much of a tussle. It will likely be the first appearance by the newest Laker, Pau Gasol, acquired in a trade last week with the moribund Memphis Grizzlies. (If the Lakers had thrown in Derek Fisher as well, Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley probably would have let the Lakers keep the entire franchise as a D-League team.)

Of course, Kobe Bryant (the best player/general manager since Larry Bi… Elgin Ba… Michael Jordan) fought to have Kidd join the Lakers via trade last season to little effect. At that point, it appeared the only way to reach Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak was through seance. Kobe thrashed about like a trapped black mamba (or spoiled child, depending on your opinion of the snake), demanding a better team in Los Angeles or elsewhere.

After a year of teasing Los Angeles and Chicago with his daily much ados, he ended up stuck on possibly the best team in the Western Conference with a power forward adept at the triangle and uniquely suited for the cosmopolitan Los Angeles lifestyle. Oh, and the best young center in the NBA without a sticker dunk in his repertoire.

Across the court, the Nets are still a bit behind the Lakers in their evolution. Jason Kidd wants out; Richard Jefferson wants to schedule time on the trainer’s table; Vince Carter wants whatever that lady in the front row is having.

As much as new player/GM LeBron James wants Jason Kidd, it’s worth noting that Kidd’s shooting percentage (never truly stellar) now matches that of the Apple Dumpling Gang. Therefore, Nets Grand Poobah Rod Thorn really doesn’t have many options on a final resting place for Kidd’s rapidly deteriorating game and $20m/per for the next 1.5 seasons.

Considering the rebirth of the fortunes of Danny Ainge and Mitch Kupchak, Nets fans may be forced to give Thorn the patience and trust they demand of the players towards the same franchise while he window shops a bit longer for the best fit left for Kidd, even if it means keeping the salary dump for the Nets after next season.

It’s likely Kidd would rather not see himself as an expiring contract, but that might be Thorn’s only option over the summer or next winter. A team in the Grizzlies’ position next season (though perhaps with one more owner than the Grizzlies seem to have) might take on the salary with little concern about who receives the checks as long as the salary cap room can be achieved. (A properly run Knicks organization, perhaps?)

Those that disagree with the current utility of Jason Kidd can be heard to exclaim that he may not be in his prime, but “he’s still Jason Kidd!”. Fair enough; his birth certificate can probably verify this. However, along those lines, Jerry West is still Jerry West and is quite available. Still, there doesn’t seem to be an NBA franchise that believes West could carry them to the NBA Finals as a point guard or a general manager these days.