The Bucks offered no comment to David Aldridge of NBA.com regarding the Jason Kidd bombshell (Twitter link), but there is plenty of chatter elsewhere. Here’s the latest:
- Kidd’s demands for the Nets were about more than gaining control, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The first-year coach was miffed at the salary figures first-time coach hires have been bringing in, especially the contract Derek Fisher received. The Knicks are paying Fisher $4MM in guaranteed salary per year, substantially more than what Kidd earns.
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post points out (on Twitter) that Kidd’s total earnings as a player dwarf those of Steve Kerr and Fisher.
- Wojnarowski confirms that it is unlikely Kidd will remain with Brooklyn in any scenario (via Twitter). While the Yahoo! scribe’s source says GM Billy King is somewhat forgiving, ownership would not be open to keeping Kidd around.
- A source tells Wojnarowski that a realistic compensation package from the Bucks to the Nets would be “a bunch of second-round picks” (Twitter link).
- Mark Jackson‘s name is coming up in the Nets front office as a potential replacement for Kidd, reports Ohm Youngmisuk ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).
- Howard Beck of Bleacher Report tweets that Lionel Hollins and George Karl would also draw interest from Brooklyn for a coaching vacancy.
- Lawrence Frank would not be a candidate to replace Kidd, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
So the Bucks get new owners, Jabari, and want a new arena; but are willing to throw all that good momentum away for Kidd? SMH. They should be looking for ways to trade Sanders, Mayo, Ilyasova, Zaza, etc. Honestly they have nothing other than Knight, Giannis, Jabari, and Henson. Everyone else should be gone with an eye towards getting one more really high lottery pick.