Remember this commercial? Kinda? Me too. From the fringes of your NBA memory, summon up the images of Jason Kidd surrounded by a plethora of high flyers and quick hitters. Kenyon Martin, Richard Jefferson, and Vince Carter were the main culprits. Now, all but Carter are gone from the New Jersey Nets, but Jefferson and Carter seem fated to continue to wait in the same wings. In February, around the trade deadline, there were trade rumors going around that the Spurs were taking a long, hard look at Carter. Now, with the draft only days away, the Spurs are swinging for the fences (and perhaps missing), and getting the other ex-Net still playing in the Eastern Conference.
This commercial highlights the two players' athletic abilities and slam- dunk predispositions. What it doesn't show is Carter's progression into elderstatesman status, and Jeffors slow sink into mediocrity. Stories go that Carter was a calm influence on an up-and-coming Meadowlands team that featured Devin Harris' breakout season. Jefferson, on the other hand, underachieved in Milwaukee, and the Bucks were better off with him on the bench. So, with this trade all but completed, I'm left wondering: are the Spurs getting the wrong wing-man? Keep in mind, this kills their cap space for 2010.
