When Jason Kidd was traded from the New Jersey Nets to the Dallas Mavericks in 2008, the Mavericks were hopeful that he would fit in as one of the final pieces to a championship puzzle

One year after solving that puzzle with Dallas, Jason is headed back to the New York Metropolitan area to try and help another annual playoff contender get over that hump.


Jason is headed back to the Eastern Conference to play for the New York Knicks (Getty Images).

Jason signed a three-year deal with the New York Knicks on Wednesday, ending his second stint with Dallas after four-and-a-half years, which included his first NBA championship.

"It was a tough decision. I looked at the rosters and felt I could go quietly and retire

[in Dallas]," Jason told ESPN Radio’s Michael Kay on his show last week. "[But] I feel like I can compete and help a team, so I saw the pieces of the Knicks and I thought I could help them out…. You look at their roster, you’ve got some great pieces. So at this stage of my career, I just felt that I could help those guys win."

Entering the offseason, many believed that Jason’s next destination was tied directly to that of his good friend, free agent point guard Deron Williams. But when Williams made the decision to stay with a Nets team in the midst of a move from New Jersey to Brooklyn, J-Kidd was left to explore other options.

Days after Williams committed to the Nets, Jason had all but done the same to return to the Mavericks and serve as the team’s starting point guard again. But at the eleventh hour, J-Kidd had a change of heart, as he told Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News:

"I went out to play golf and I just didn’t feel right," Jason said. "I talked to my wife and to Jeff [Schwartz, Jason’s agent] and they both said, if you don’t feel comfortable, don’t do it."

Among the concerns that Jason had in returning to Dallas were whether he could handle the same workload in his 19th season as he did last year and whether the team had a plan in place should Dirk Nowitzki go down with an injury. J-Kidd said he consulted with Nowitzki before making the decision and got the All-Star forward’s blessing to head to the Knicks.

"Deron, I thought he brought up some very valid points on why he didn’t go to Dallas. If it’s just him and Dirk and something happens to Dirk, then Deron’s all alone," Jason said, wondering if he might be stuck in the same situation. "[So] I changed my mind, and Dirk understood. When we talked, he said to go to New York."


Jason will be working closely with Knicks point man Jeremy Lin on becoming a more consistent player (Getty Images)

In New York, Jason hopes to be paired with Knicks point guard phenom Jeremy Lin, who burst onto the scene during the 2011-2012 season and averaged 18.2 points per game in 25 starts. Lin is a restricted free agent and signed an offer sheet with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, but the Knicks are expected to match any offer their young point guard receives.

"With the intention of signing Lin back, I saw that I can help. Hopefully, (I can) help them win and help Lin. He’s a talented point guard," Jason said on The Michael Kay Show. "I think he’s going to be a consistent player.

"If you’re consistent in this league, you’ll win a lot of ball games. That’s what I’m here to try to help him with, understanding that you don’t have to have the big numbers every night, you just need to be consistent. Hopefully, I can be there to talk to him and help him out with that."

J-Kidd told Kay that he hopes to play 20-25 minutes a night for the Knicks, but will be ready to go more if called upon. He will also be relied upon to help the Knicks roster mesh together, something that has been a struggle since the team signed Amar’e Stoudemire and traded for Carmelo Anthony.

"I think it’s a great challenge. Hopefully I can make those pieces run smoothly. I think it’s a great opportunity," he said. "I talked to coach and told him [I’ll do] whatever he needs. I’m not 25 years old and I don’t need the fireworks when my name is called (for) the starting lineup.

"I just want to be in there at the end of the game to try to help the team win and understand the last six minutes of an NBA game is where you make your name. So hopefully I’m in there trying to help my guys win."

In addition to the chance to mentor Lin and help Anthony and Stoudemire as well as former teammate in Dallas, Tyson Chandler, mesh together and win a championship, Jason was also seduced by the bright lights of New York City. Having played in the area before, for the Nets from 2001 to 2008, Jason knows what it means to be a part of a New York metropolitan title contender.

He noted that playing in front of New York fans at Madison Square Garden has always been a thrill and he’s eager to do so as a member of the home team for the next few years.

"It’s the best stage on the planet. I’ve always had a good time in that building," he said. "I’m looking forward to playing 41, plus a lot of playoff games there. You talk about the fans, the electricity and the excitement; it’s unique to play there."


The move reunites Jason with Tyson Chandler, who was a big-time factor in Dallas’ 2010-2011 championship run (Getty Images).

Chandler is thrilled to be reunited with J-Kidd, with whom he won a championship in Dallas during the 2010-2011 season and said it speaks to how the Knicks are viewed around the league that Jason would want to join the squad on his last contract.

"It says a lot about the organization and the team that a guy like Jason Kidd is willing to come and play, knowing that he only wants to win right now," Chandler said. "It says that the organization is going in the right direction. That’s the reason why I came to New York. I wanted to see the organization go in the right direction and really contend every year, be title contenders every year."

J-Kidd, who will wear No. 5 as a member of the Knicks, knows that challenges lie ahead and there is work to be done for New York to get to that championship level, but he’s excited to be a part of the next chapter of Knicks basketball.

"The Miami Heat, they’re the defending champs. You gotta go through Miami to try and win. We’re going to try. We have to get better on the defensive end and also on the offensive end," he said. "At the end of the day, if things go right, hopefully we’re right there with those guys."

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