Mark Cuban Moves On from Williams

A team better without Deron Williams? No, I'm not talking about the Nets, rather the Mavericks. At least, that's what Mark Cuban is saying.

On the "Ben and Skin Show" on 103.3 FM, Cuban stated that the team might actually be better off without the two-time Gold Medal champion and three-time All-Star Deron Williams. The max contract that Williams accepted would have hindered the Mavericks ability to build a quick contender around Dirk and Deron.

"I don't want to pick on Deron Williams because he's a great, great, great player and so it's not necessarily him, per se. The conversation we had going back and forth -- and obviously the decision was to go for him -- but the conversation was, 'OK, once you add $17.1 million in salary to what we'd have with Dirk and 'Trix (Shawn Marion), then what do you do?' That's your squad. And it's not just your squad for this year. It's your squad for next year other than the $3.3 million mini mid-level. So that was a challenge that we had because we want to win and everybody talks about Dirk's window. Well, not only would it have been difficult to add players, then it also would have been difficult to trade players and in reality that was the same problem that Deron had. Because he looked and saw the same thing and said, 'OK, now what are you going to do?' "

In other words, pretty much what several non-Mavericks fans were saying when Deron was still making up his mind.

However, its the other point guard that has caused Cuban to be all riled up. Jason Kidd had left for the other New York team, the Knicks. What use does a player near retirement have to Cuban? Apparently, Kidd had come to an agreement with the Mavericks, but backed out and went out to sign with the Knicks. It wasn't about the player, it was about how Kidd changed his mind. In fact, so mad that Cuban for the time has chosen not to hang Kidd's jersey in the rafters.

"I was more than upset. I thought he was coming. I was pissed. J-Kidd is a big boy; he can do whatever he wants. But you don't change your mind like that. That was & yeah. I'm sure I'll get over it at some point, but as of now, I wouldn't put J-Kidd's number in the rafters. It hurt my feelings, period, because I felt that we had developed a relationship and I thought that he was committed to the organization. It sure seemed that he was. I mean, J-Kidd was active in going out there and talking to Deron Williams the whole time. I guess it was more shocking and surprising than anything else."

Shocking not only to him, but the rest of the NBA as well. What this confirms is just that Kidd really wants to win, and anything else pretty much has no say. If he was recruiting Williams and then left the Mavericks after, he must have felt that Dallas will not be very good next year. And of all teams, he chose the Knicks, the team most loathed by the Nets. Most loathed by the team that helped create his legacy. Interesting to say the least.

If Cuban is really going to be picky about the players he loses, I doubt many are still disappointed that Kidd left. He helped bring them a ring, he tried to recruit Deron Williams and when all else fails, he bolted. Most importantly, he bolted as a role player (certainly not a role model). He is not THAT important to the team. But I can understand that Cuban is pissed if they really did have a relationship that was tight.

Kidd probably is not going to lose any sleep over this.