At 1120 this morning, I'm visiting with 'The Michael Irvin Show' on ESPN 103.3 radio to discuss the following (I know, sorry I didn't give you more advanced warning!):

You might recall our immediate reaction to Jerry Stackhouse’s comments on his role in the Kidd trade: We called it a “boomerang’’ thing and suggested that “it seems kinda like a wink-wink violation of the spirit of the rule.’’

   You might also recall our trepidiation once Stack’s gleeful remarks were followed by Devean George’s less gleeful remarks: We called it a potential “clusterf&*%k.’’

   Well, now – predictably -- comes word that the NBA may be planning an investigation into the wink-wink. And it’s a full-blown “clusterf&*%k.’’ And the “boomerang’’ has gone “boom.’’

   Here’s how we wrote it on Wednesday afternoon, as the story was breaking:

   THE ETHICS OF THE BUYOUT: I bet Avery Johnson broke down bawling when informed that security blanket Jerry Stackhouse would be taken away from him. … and then was comforted to know that maybe NJ will buy out Stack and free him to return.

   Wednesday afternoon, Stack didn’t even try to hide what was up.

   At 4:36pm Stack offered the first official word – befitting his status as the team’s "locker-room spokesman.’’

   “Now I think it's pretty much a done deal," Stackhouse said then, while also suggesting that he is assuming a buyout from New Jersey that would free him to join any team (ahem: Dallas) after 30 days.

   How does Stack feel about the deal?

   “I feel great. I get 30 days to rest, then I'll be right back’’ he said. “I ain't going nowhere.’’

It does kind of seem like a wink-wink violation of the spirit of the rules. But if Chancellor Stern is going to allow Pau Gasol to move to the Lakers for nothing, he can certainly allow Stack to boomerang around the countryside.

   Once the investigation is complete, will David Stern join Devean George in being a trade blocker? We doubt it. While Stack was unwise to advertise what was going on, such side deals are not at all unique. It would be hypocritical of the NBA to deny that fact.  Furthermore, the Mavs can always argue that there is no built-in guarantee of Stackhouse’s return – that Stack was simply expressing his wishes and his plans. And finally, while paranoid Dallas fans might worry that Stern will crush the trade because of his conflicts with Mavs boss Mark Cuban, any of that sort of thinking would be offset by Stern’s close relationship with Nets boss Rod Thorn. The Nets need this deal to go through, for reasons ranging from the albatross that an un-traded Kidd would represent to the fact that the franchise is about to move into New York City and needs to not appear to be on their own clusterf&*%king path.

   Besides, does “tampering’’ – if such a thing can be proven – mean a deal gets shut down? Or does it simply deserve a wristslap?

   We believe it is fair to assume, though, that if the NBA somehow prohibits Stackhouse from being included in a Kidd trade, the Mavs will give up pursing it. While much has been made of the Mavs “giving up seven players’’ for Kidd, the likely return of Stack to Dallas (after the mandatory 30-day cooling-off window) made the swap, at its core, Devin Harris and ‘Gana Diop for Kidd. If it were to be Devin, Diop and Stack – a non-boomeranging Stack – it becomes less attractive to a Dallas team that has a great affection for Stackhouse’s skills and leadership.

   Meanwhile, Devean George is not yet moving off his Early Bird Rights-fueled right to block his involvement in the swap. His agent Mark Bartelstein said on Thursday night: “There’s nothing new. Right now, he is just focusing on playing for the Mavericks.’’

   Of course, now we’re at the All-Star Break. There are no Mavericks games for Devean to “focus on.’’ There is only, for the next few days before the Mavs play again on Wednesday and before the Feb. 21 trade deadline, contemplation on how to clear up this “clusterf&*%k.’’

   On that list:

·         Continued efforts to persuade George to accept the deal. We’ve made this point on DB.com repeatedly, and assume the Mavs have done the same with Devean: Early Bird Rights are worthless without Dallas’ cooperation. Meanwhile, we understand that the Nets have also spoken with Devean in an effort to help him see the light.

·         Campaigning with the league offices on the part of the Nets and the Mavs that there is nothing shady about Stackhouse’s role. Really, outside of Stack’s outspokeness, what evidence is there?

·         An exploration of other combos that work to free Kidd from New Jersey, where the Nets (even more than Dallas) have reached a point of no return. But, Cuban said Thursday, that while “nothing’s ever dead, there just aren’t many options.’’

·         A Mavs management look-in-the-mirror exercise that would school all involved in the ramifications of assuming something’s done before it’s done. That goes not only for Stack’s mouth, but also for the circumstances that led to Dallas’ assumption that George would sign off on this thing. Mark Cuban is saying that HE never said anything and “that’s why I never got ahead of myself.’’ But see, Stackhouse DID say something and DID get ahead of himself.

   And therefore, we’ve got ourselves a situation. We’ve got ourselves a “boomerang’’ going “boom.’’ We’ve got ourselves a “clusterf&*%k.’’

Comments (1)

Comment	smaller | bigger
Name
Write the displayed characters
Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
	Add Comment