It initially seemed as though Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers and/or LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers were the only suitors for Dallas to worry about, given their status as championship contenders and Kidd's ongoing pursuit of an NBA ring. But I've been advised that Portland -- with a decent amount of cap space to burn and its interest in veteran floor leadership established above when we got into Nash -- has to be on the list of potential Kidd suitors as well. New York is another team he'd likely consider. New York is another team that he'd likely consider if the Knicks show interest, purely because of his comfort level with Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni and familiarity with the area after his time with New Jersey.
The Mavs, though, can outbid anyone for the 36-year-old, who quietly had a much better season than advertised and who figures to have a far bigger impact if he is surrounded by at least three consistent producers. With Josh Howard plagued by ankle trouble all season, Dallas had only two of those: Nowitzki and Sixth Man Award winner Jason Terry. And that number was down to one in the Mavs' second-round series with Denver, when the Nuggets' length and aggressive trapping on pick-and-rolls smothered Terry.
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