Back in 2013, Brooklyn Nets general manager Billy King made what is considered one of the worst trades in NBA history.
The Brooklyn Nets were a newly relocated team from New Jersey. Billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov placed a “win now” mandate put on the team at any cost. King had already made two big moves bringing in both Deron Williams and Joe Johnson.
The two all-star players teamed up with gifted scoring big Brook Lopez to make a solid team. But they were not the championship contender they were looking for. King saw an opportunity to get this team there. But it would come at the expense of the future of the franchise. He took it.
King made a blockbuster trade to bring Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry from the Celtics to the Nets. He gave up several for unprotected future first round picks and five players. The deal was exciting and won the front pages of national newspapers and sports magazines. However, it didn’t pan out on the court.
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The Nets made the playoffs with that team for the years they were together. But they only made it passed the first round once. The star player, Deron Williams, underachieved greatly and ultimately left the franchise.
The Nets became the joke of the league and began the rebuilding process. They fired King and head coach Lionel Collins. This effectively closed the door on one of the darkest chapters in Nets history.
Looking at it in retrospect, it is easy to see that the trade was not the best for the franchise. But one person that has been around basketball his whole life doesn’t think it was bad at the time.
That person is T.J. Kidd, son of former Nets’ point guard and coach Jason Kidd. Kidd grew up around the Nets franchise and is an avid basketball fan. While he is not following in his father’s footsteps as a player, Kidd is still knowledgeable about the sport.
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In a recent interview with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson of RESPECT magazine, Kidd was asked specifically about whether he believed that the trade was the right decision. To this he responded;
"“I think it was a good decision at the time absolutely but you should always take into consideration that you’re going to have to field the farm, just to be able to build and win now.”"
It is easy to see that he takes after his father with his understanding of the game. Kidd alludes to the necessity of the trade in order to win.
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At the time, it was a good decision and the best one King could make. He was under the immense pressure of putting together an instant championship contender could make. King already swung and missed out on chances for both LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, so he took what he could.
But Kidd’s insight at the end of the quote shows that he gets what the league is about and how deals should be made NBA. Kidd puts it perfectly when he says “…you’re going to have to field the farm…”
The stars up front are important, but the depth of the roster and youth that is coming up is just as important. The Nets finally have this concept down with the new front office and the rebuild is going as smooth as it can for a franchise in their position.
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With insight like this Kidd may be looking at a future in an NBA front office, but for now he is just the high basketball IQ son of one of the greatest point guards of all time. Hopefully one day he can bring that IQ to the Nets’ franchise, just as his father did.