Kidd deal: Still stewing

Don't buy your Jason Kidd Mavericks jersey just yet. Colleague Dave D'Alessandro of the Star-Ledger in Newark finally got Keith Van Horn's agent David Falk to surface and it's not the best of news for either side. This thing won't get done today and now, according to Falk, Van Horn is pondering whether he wants to be a part of the deal or not.

What is known for sure is the deal won't get done until at least tomorrow. The league will review everything tomorrow (Mavs owner Mark Cuban said there were delays of NBA execs and lawyers getting out of New Orleans to get back East), but at this point, it almost seems as if the deal is destined to go all the way to the deadline on Thursday afternoon.

Check this out from Dave:

Just got off the phone with David Falk, who as everyone knows, is the uberagent that represents Keith Van Horn.

And if you think all this is a fait accompli, hold on to your hat.

"I can't tell you his intentions, because I told Keith and both owners that this thing has been so tortured, it's best for everyone to just chill out and find out what the league has to say," Falk said.

Nice image, that. David Falk, calming voice of tranquility.

Actually, Falk already knows that the league will probably (likely) tell him that Van Horn has to report to the Nets for one month in order for this deal to be kosher.

"I understand," he said. "But in my history with the league since 1974, I can't remember a trade that has created more drama than this one - from Jerry (Stackhouse) being waived and going back, and a player worried about his Bird rights.

"I told everyone when Van Horn was mentioned in the trade that my strong advice is, 'If you want to do something, you better do it quietly.' And if this has a chance to happen, step back and let some time pass or it would probably ruin the trade."

Odd thing to say, we thought. Falk might be a bloody genius when it comes to doing NBA business, but there's not much he does quietly.

Unless, of course, his client absolutely insists he wants it that way.

And suddenly, that seems to be the important factor in this trade: Keith either has cold feet, or feels that a $2M payday for taking a physical is shameless and needs time to think it through, or he just doesn't want any part of it.

Falk won't say which is closest to the truth.

"I really can't say," the agent said. "He wants some quiet time to reflect on it. And that's what he should be doing.

"He'll make a decision, but it's not going to be 'maybe,' or 70-30. Either he'll do it or he won't do it. And we'll all know in the next 48 to 72 hours."

Not a hint, a high-sign, an indication either way?

"No. I can't indicate either way," Falk said.

Family issue? Are the teams asking too much for Keith to take an unexpected separation from his wife and kids for a month?

"Let's say this," Falk concluded. "Keith is a guy of high integrity, and he has a great relationship with Mark Cuban and Rod Thorn, and he would like to help them both. But he's engaged in some other things, and he has a lot of responsibilities. Now he just has to see if it's workable before he decides what to do. And right now, I don't know what he's going to do."

-- Jeff Caplan

Comments

[Colin]

I bet he's staging a mini-holdout. He has to be paid a certain amount, but he can also demand a bit more than that, too.

[Darren]

Here's my best guess: After considering this, I think the league may expect a little more out of Van Horn. Whereas they might have just expected him to show up, they may now want Van Horn to stay. That could cause Keith to have a lot of doubts.