The Pistons and Pacers play tonight at the Palace (7:30pm, FSN), though the big story the rest of the league is buzzing about is "Jason Kidd going back to the Mavericks." ESPN's Marc Stein has the details:
The deal -- salvaged from talks on a three-way trade with Portland that developed and fizzled quickly two weeks ago -- has Dallas sending 24-year-old point guard Devin Harris, veteran swingman Jerry Stackhouse, the expiring contracts of center DeSagana Diop and swingman Devean George and guard Maurice Ager to New Jersey for Kidd and forward Malik Allen.
Sources say Dallas will also add the league-maximum $3 million in cash and send its first-round draft pick this June as well as a first-rounder in 2010.
The Nets are expected to buy out Stackhouse's contract immediately, which could enable him to re-sign with Dallas if he waits 30 days, and ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reports that the Nets and the Mavs are likewise poised to complete a separate trade that will send swingman Antoine Wright to Dallas for a future second-round pick.
Huh. I don't have much to say about that at the moment, other than confusion why the West is importing every aging star from the East these days. If the Mavs get Stack back, though, that'd be a coup for them.
As for me, I'm off to the Pistons game -- I'll be filing pre-game, halftime and post-game reports for HOOPSWORLD. Feel free to discuss the Kidd trade and/or tonight's game in the comments.