NO KIDD-ING
Jason sticks it to Knicks by luring Monroe
Jason Kidd 24, Knicks 4. Once again, Jason Kidd tortures the Knicks. One of the biggest moves of the second day of free agency saw Greg Monroe, the adept passing big man the Knicks coveted, bypass New York and agree to a threeyear, $50 million offer from Milwaukee. So Kidd, whose Bucks shocked the NBA last season with a playoff berth, stuck it to the Knicks again — like he did so often while playing for the Nets.
The Monroe move triggered Thursday’s proceedings that followed some $1.3 billion in contracts agreed upon Wednesday.
Elsewhere, Tim Duncan is returning to the Spurs and Dwyane Wade is headed back to the Heat. Damian Lillard was extended by the Blazers, Memphis and Marc Gasol were finalizing a max deal. Monta Ellis agreed to a 4year, $44million deal with Indiana, according to ESPN.
In choosing the Bucks over the Knicks, Monroe saw a team that was ready to continue winning. In the Knicks, he no doubt saw a team that won 17 games last season and is just starting a rebuild.
“I have to admit, I was surprised,” said one NBA talent evaluator. “Milwaukee plays more of a smallball and I think he would be a better fit for the triangle.
“But he makes the Bucks better. He’s really solid. I liked him coming out of college. He’s a professional. He may never be a, quote, superstar, but he’ll be a solid professional for 10 years as long as he stays healthy.”
And the next three years should be in Milwaukee, where Kidd has a nice young gathering of talent. There is the uberathletic forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and shooting star Khris Middleton who reupped as a restricted free agent Wednesday.
Jabari Parker was off to a stellar rookie start before blowing out his knee 25 games into last season. Trade deadline acquisition Michael CarterWilliams was the 2014 Rookie of the Year and while he is shootinganddefense challenged, the thought is a full year with Kidd can get him better.
The Bucks’ bench was one of the league’s most productive. And now Kidd has a passing big man, one the Knicks wanted.
“When he was a Net, he did enjoy going over there and kicking their [butt],” a former team member said of Kidd and the Knicks. “There wasn’t much that would get him excited in the regular season, but going to the Garden did.”
On his first day of training camp as a player for the Nets, Kidd predicted the Nets would be no worse than .500. He was thought a loon. He was told they were secondclass in the area to the Knicks.
“We won’t be second for long,” he said and was thought a total loon.
The Nets, of course, went to the Finals in Kidd’s first two years. In his time in New Jersey, the Nets were 234, including a 40 playoff sweep in 2004, against the Knicks with Kidd on the floor — and two of those losses came in Kidd’s final Nets season when he sought a trade.
Late in 200405, Kidd was asked if he still loved beating the Knicks.
“Why? They’re just another bad team,” Kidd said, enraging Knicks faithful.
In 2005, the Knicks’ Stephon Marbury offered, “I know I’m the best point guard in the NBA” around New Year’s. Kidd sort of disputed the point and promptly went 100 over three seasons against the Knicks.
“That drove him to another level against those guys,” another former team member said.
Now he’s got Monroe, who also received a max offer from the Knicks.
So the busiest free agency in memory continued at a steady pace. Duncan told the San Anto nio ExpressNews, following a recruiting trip for LaMarcus Aldridge, “I’ll be on the court next year.”
Wade, who opted out of a $16.1 million payday in Miami on Monday, agreed to nearly $20 million for one year, league sources confirmed. Lillard, reportedly getting upwards of $120 million in his fiveyear extension, tweeted “Thank you so much to (owner) @PaulGAllen and the @trailblazers organization. I’ll be in #RipCity 6 more years!” Gasol is expected to draw upwards of $100 million for five years from Memphis.