[DevinHarriswillstart]

Didn't see this posted anywhere and thought it was a worthy read.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...e.17db03c.html

Kidd faces crucial year with Dallas Mavericks


02:58 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Training camp opens in five days, and Jason Kidd has things to do.

Pack bathing suit and beach shoes for quick trip to Cabo – check.

Make sure Olympic gold medal makes it to Dallas so photos can be taken with a Mavericks uniform – check.

Sign extension that allows him to finish his career in Dallas – on hold.

Tell the truth. Did you really believe the Mavericks would start camp without a loose end or two? Headaches are only a You Tube moment away.

But this issue, well, it's not an issue at all. The 35-year-old point guard feels strong mentally and physically and wants to play another three years. He wants to do that in a Mavericks uniform.

"I would love to finish where I started," Kidd said from his New York home Tuesday. "I accomplished half of what I didn't do my first time around in Dallas, which was make the playoffs.

"Now I would like to win a championship."

The Mavericks had a championship in mind when they traded for Kidd seven months ago. The scars from that colossal failure remain. There is too much uncertainty for either side to commit to a long-term relationship right now.

Kidd is in the final year of a contract that pays him $21.3 million. The end of last season does not allow his agent, Jeff Schwartz, to negotiate from a position of strength.

The Mavericks' front office believes former coach Avery Johnson was wrong about Kidd, hence the title former coach. They think Kidd has something left to give. But is owner Mark Cuban confident enough in that assessment to sign the future Hall of Fame guard to an extension?

No.

The first 3 ½ months of this season are crucial. If Kidd plays well and the team clicks under new coach Rick Carlisle, fears about moving into the future with an AARP point guard will subside.

But if this doesn't work, if Johnson turns out to be right, the Mavericks can move Kidd before the trade deadline in February. Even if Kidd's skills have declined, teams will be interested in the flexibility provided by his expiring contract.

The key here is the Mavericks must decide before the deadline. The club is so far over the salary cap that Kidd's contract gives them no relief. Keep him past the deadline and the team has no room to sign a replacement moving forward.

"I'm not so much thinking about the contract," Kidd said. "I will let the work speak for itself. If I go out and have a good season, then maybe Mark will talk to Jeff about the extension. My play will dictate what happens.

"That's why there were no talks, rumblings or anyone who was upset over the summer. It didn't make sense for either side."

Kidd knows he wasn't aggressive enough on offense in his return to the Mavericks. That's one of the topics he and Carlisle addressed when the two had dinner at an Italian restaurant in New York last week. He finds Carlisle's enthusiasm for this season contagious.

When Kidd was younger, he thought success was determined solely by athletic ability. Now, he knows it's about confidence.

He is confident about this season.

"I have one year left to play, and I will play it out," Kidd said. "I don't look on it as a bad thing. It's a great opportunity.

"If I play well, hopefully, I'll have a chance to get an extension and stay here."

That is what both sides had in mind when the deal was made.