FORT WORTH, Texas — I must be missing something. I keep hearing how the Dallas Mavericks absolutely have to sign Jason Kidd to whatever deal he commands. The logic is he is better than the nothing they have at point guard to replace him.

I am not so sure, unless we are talking the three-year deal that is reported to be out there. Then I know for sure. Hell, no. What the Mavs do not need is to anchor themselves to an aging and already-showing-signs-of-winding-down point guard for another three seasons, certainly not for the $25-$30 million price tag being floated.
This is not to ignore the train wreck the Mavs stand to be next season without JKidd. They will be basically point guard-less without really a lot of options for rectifying that situation. It has a chance to be ugly.
But ask yourself: How pretty is it going to be with him?
Does anybody believe the Mavs are a championship contender with JKidd next season? I’m talking beat-the-Lakers contenders, or reach-the-West-Finals contenders, or even escape-the-first-round contenders.
Of course, nobody does.
The West is too good, and the Mavs are just too OK. How many playoff series do we have to see to realize they are a pretty good team with a really good player, which is never quite enough.
JKidd was supposed to be the answer, or so was the explanation of trading for him two seasons ago. The Mavs have exactly one playoff series victory to show for that deal. And I am guessing San Antonio will gladly accept a do-over on their playoff series this coming year, if healthy and with Richard Jefferson added to the mix.
This is probably a good time to remind everybody how much I hated the JKidd-Devin Harris trade. My reasoning was you do not trade young for old unless you are close. The Mavericks were not, not really and they are even further away now.
Which is why re-signing JKidd long-term is akin to throwing good money after bad money. The Mavs would be better served to take a step back this year and then retool in the summer of 2010.
What is crazy is how a lot of Mavs types seem to be ignoring how signing JKidd hinders them in that pursuit. Every dollar spent on JKidd is another dollar toward the salary cap and one less dollar they can spend when the massive free-agent classes begin next summer.
Every dollar on JKidd is one less for Chris Bosh, who will be a free agent next summer. (Stop now with the Bosh plays the same spot as The Big German; I have faith Rick Carlisle will take the problem.)
The Mavs obviously are trying to maximize the next three or four years of Dirk Nowitzki’s career. There’s not another championship-caliber point guard they’re going to be able to bring in here to help do that right now. And don’t think for a minute Dirk doesn’t know this, or signing JKidd blinds him to the other problems.
Dirk knows that JKidd helps the Mavs remain competitive, but recognizes that the 36-year-old guard simply can’t do the things that Chris Paul, Derron Williams, Chauncey Billups or even Aaron Brooks can.
If you do not believe me, re-watch what Billups did to JKidd in the playoffs. There is a reason why JJ Barea played so much last season.
Kidd can be a large asset for a team, but not this Mavs team. It needs a lot more.
By keeping JKidd, the moves guarantee the Mavs another shot at 50 wins. Maybe they even escape out of the first round again. It also means the Mavs remain in denial. They are a pretty good team with JKidd. But pretty good isn’t good enough to do much in the West, or even the East, these days.
So the Mavs need to do the right thing and allow the Knicks to sign JKidd. It will be hard, basically admitting the trade for him was a gigantic failure. And lots of rather large egos will have to swallow that truth. But Mavs owner Mark Cuban has often said the best moves he makes are the moves he didn’t make.
By letting JKidd walk, the Mavs can begin honest re-tooling of the franchise, finding youth on the perimeter, and hopefully putting a real contender around Dirk in 2010. All re-signing JKidd does is put them another year away from admitting what Avery Johnson told them on his way out.
I jumped Avery’s butt for the “we overachieved” stuff. It sounded like self-butt kissing and a little snarky as he walked out the door. The fact is he was right. What we are seeing from the Mavs is what they are, and JKidd does not change it.
So let him go. Give everybody a pass for next season.
And get ready to spend all kinds of crazy money in the summer of 2010 when the players are worth it and the cash actually has a chance to turn the Mavs back into contenders.