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High stakes Nets have more than a sweep on the line in Game 4Posted: Monday June 10, 2002 7:17 PMUpdated: Thursday June 13, 2002 2:19 AM
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Avoiding elimination won't be the only issue for the Nets when they take the floor at Continental Airlines Arena for Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday. Jason Kidd’s future with the franchise might be at stake as well. As embarrassing as getting swept by the Lakers might be, it would be nothing compared with the prospect of losing Kidd to free agency next summer. Yet that’s what could happen if the All-Star point guard decides his team’s Finals belly flop is an indication it doesn’t have the pieces necessary to contend in the future. "I have a lot of options, and one of them is staying in New Jersey," said Kidd, who otherwise has remained tight-lipped on the subject. "We're going to play them all out and see what happens." Kidd, 29, has two years remaining on his 10-year, $65 million contract, but he has an opt-out clause in 2003. He already has stated he will test the free-agent market, where he and Spurs forward Tim Duncan expect to be the marquee names. Though Kidd said last week that making the Finals "didn’t hurt" his chances of re-signing with the Nets, a sweep by L.A. could wipe out some of those positive vibes. Kidd, after all, has been largely a one-man show for the Nets against the Lakers. In Game 1, he posted the first Finals triple-double (23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists) since Charles Barkley in 1993. In Game 3, he scored 30 points and sparked a surge that gave New Jersey a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter. Afterward, Kobe Bryant noted that Kidd "got them back in the game almost single-handedly." In the Finals, Kidd leads the Nets in scoring (23.3 points), rebounds (8.0), assists (9.0), steals (2.67) and minutes played (41.7). Meanwhile, teammates Kerry Kittles, Keith Van Horn and Lucious Harris have been MIA. As Nets coach Byron Scott said before Game 3, "Jason plays at 110 percent in every game. We need other guys to join him. That's the bottom line." Under NBA rules, the Nets can't negotiate with Kidd until he becomes a free agent. But because of salary-cap restrictions, they would be able to sign him to a contract that is worth more money and would be a year longer than any other NBA team. That’s why putting together a winning team -- with the right players -- figures to be crucial to keeping Kidd. "To me, if we're a good team, I think he will [re-sign]," Nets GM Rod Thorn told the New York Post. "If he thinks we're going to be a good team and we'll play in these big games like we're playing this year, to me, I think he'll come back and sign with us." During the offseason, the Nets probably will look to trade Van Horn for somebody who can provide more low-post scoring and toughness. The Jazz are said to be interested in the 6-foot-10 forward, who played his college ball at Utah, but it’s doubtful Karl Malone would agree to a trade to New Jersey. It's more likely the Nets would have to work a three-way deal or find some other taker for Van Horn. Until then, the Nets can help their cause by defeating the Lakers in Game 4. While they might still lose the series, they at least would avoid the stigma of being swept. Teams that manage to win a game seldom go down in infamy like those that get the broom. Win a game, and the Nets will be viewed as a gritty but overmatched team that had the misfortune of running up against Shaq in his prime. Get swept, and they’re a punchline. Kidd won’t be laughing either way, but the former outcome just might help him feel better about his future in New Jersey. Marty Burns covers pro basketball for CNNSI.com. Click here to send Marty a question or comment.
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