Devin Harris, The Dallas Maverick Point Guard Who Got Away

On the one-year anniversary of the trade heard 'round the world, everyone in New Jersey is celebrating. I wish the same could be said in Dallas. 

I know this article is going to sound like a crying-in-your-beer read, but bear with me.

Thanks to Alex McVeigh for his background notes. Thanks to Bleacher Report for allowing me to vent my grief. So, excuse me while I lament over the loss of a diamond-gem player.

Last season, somebody in the Mavericks organization thought it was a brain storm of an idea to trade away young and talented Devin Harris, for experienced and much older Jason Kidd.

That someone would be owner Mark Cuban, and then head-coach Avery Johnson. 

I remember hearing the Mavericks did the deal because they needed a more experienced point guard for a serious playoff run.  Okay. 

With his prime years waning, star forward Dirk Nowitzki was also sold to the notion of having, the future Hall of Famer Kidd passing the ball. 

Just what were they thinking?

The Mavericks must have felt cornered into doing such a deal, with Gasol going to Los Angeles, Shaq to phoenix, and Garnett to Boston. 

How quickly they forgot Harris was part of the reason we made the finals in '06 and the playoffs in '07. 

In the '05-'06 season, the Mavericks did not have a true point guard. Harris played alongside Jason Terry, both sharing point duties.  Assists were by committee, meaning anyone made them. And it worked. 

The Mavericks had the lowest assist per game in the league, but who cares when you're winning the West, right? 

Seems I remember Harris' name never came up as the reason the Mavericks failed against the Miami Heat in the NBA finals. 

In the '06-'07 season, the point guard position was still platooned between Harris and Terry.  We all know the story—the Mavericks slew the league for a franchise-best 67 wins.  

They were on their way to a repeat appearance in the finals, until they train wrecked against the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs. 

Harris was among the few players on the team to score his average in that series.

At the beginning of the '07-'08 season, then-coach Avery Johnson announced to the world Harris was the starting point guard. Johnson said Harris had the keys to the offense. With a heavy thumb from the former coach Johnson, Harris' potentials were kept in check.

When Kidd first came to Dallas, he was subjected to the same vice-grip treatment from Johnson.

With Johnson gone, coach Carlisle has put the reins of the Mavericks squarely in the hands of Kidd, and so far it's paying off. I will confess, the Mavericks are fun to watch with Kidd passing the ball around.

On Dec. 19 of this season, Harris unleashed the full fury of his talents on his former team. In the 121-97 New Jersey victory, Harris' line was, mildly put, impressive. Going 14-for-25 for 41 points, 8-8 from the line, three boards, 13 assists, three steals, and only four turnovers. 

Compared to Kidd's mediocre line of 6-for-11 for 17 points, 2-2 on free throws, 4 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and only one turnover. 

I know there are a lot of Jason Kidd fans out there, and I do like Kidd.  The facts are plain and simple—the Mavericks panicked and made a BAD deal. 

The one player who seems overly happy about the trade is Dirk. With a true passer to feed him the ball, Dirk can go back and play his true shooting game. He no longer has to focus on getting assists for the team.

So the reason the Mavericks traded Harris for Kidd is this—they believed Dirk didn't have enough time left to win a title with Harris. This was an all-or-nothing trade, and I'm afraid the Mavericks might end up with nothing. 

We will know for sure at the end of next season.

I keep telling myself the deal is done, Harris is a Net now, Kidd is a Maverick again, so get over it. The point I'm making with all this ranting is this—very, very soon, the Mavericks will be without a star point guard.

What will be the brainstorm idea then?

We did trade our future to the New Jersey Nets.