Just Kidding

The bigger question: Who wears No. 5 for Dallas? Kidd or J-Ho? Discuss.

Despite Jerry Stackhouse's mouth and Devean George's bird rights, Jason Kidd will still, apparently, be a Dallas Maverick.

Yes, yes, Kidd and Malik Allen are moving west for Devin Harris, Trenton Hassell, Mo Ager, DeSagana Diop, Keith Van Horn, cash and two first round picks.

A week later, this trade still stinks. Essentially, Stack and George were swapped for Hassell and the not-retired-yet Keith Van Horn, who is a Net once again whether he likes it or not.

It still depletes the Mavs bench, gives up on a young, improving guard and now the Mavs were forced to play their ace in the hole, Van Horn's rights.

But the trade had to be made. Everyone's concerned about the Mavs' reputation around the league. Who cares! This was about maintaining the confidence and chemistry of a team that could not go on after half its team was almost traded. Companies don't go to a department and say, "Hey, we're firing half of you because we've hired monkeys to do your job!" and the next day you come in and say, "Nevermind. It turns out monkeys throw shit everywhere." Morale would dissipate.

With things finally in the stages where it might end, a fond farewell to the departing parties. God's speed.

Keith Van Horn
The second best Dutch player in Mavs history (Nick Van Exel, clutching at No. 1) and the result of one of the worst trades in Donnie Nelson's spotty record. Loved the knee-high socks.

Trenton Hassell
Did not know him well enough to forge a solid relationship. Another vague attempt at Nelson to bring in a "defensive" swing man. Nice.

DeSagana Diop
His nickname is "1929" because no one's stock has fallen faster. Two years ago he was the find of free agency. A lottery pick who never blossomed in sorry Cleveland and needed a taskmaster who whip his ass. Then it turned out he has a passion of a turnip, an untappable potential and the apathy of a scorned lover. But as a back-up center, he wasn't awful. Hard to let him and his six fouls go with Shaq, Andrew Bynum, Tim Duncan and Tyson Chandler in the West.

Mo Ager
Top 10 worst draft pick in Mavs history. Easy.

Two First-Round Picks
Somewhere, there are two soft, white, goofy European power forwards who will be taken in the second round by the Mavs now.

Cash
Mark Cuban has more.

Devin Harris
Devin, I'm sorry. This team not only gave up on you too early but it gave up on you at the exact moment that you were starting to perform on a high level. All that you gave this team was never appreciated as media, fans and the team had a "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately" attitude. One minutre you're shredding the Spurs in the Western Conference semis, now you're being swapped for a guy who's 10 years old, can't shoot, is 100 times slower than you and wouldn't know how to drive the basket if he were in a double-decker bus.

Sorry.