Front Office Football Central - Jason Kidd to Sacramento?

Quote:

JASON TO KINGS
TALK IN THE AIR

By FRED KERBER
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June 18, 2003 -- NET NOTES

The off-season officially has begun for the Nets. It wasted very little time getting very interesting.

Assistant coach Eddie Jordan interviewed for a second time with the Sixers yesterday and is scheduled to interview today in Washington for the Wizards' head coaching job. Jordan could receive an offer by the end of the week from one of the teams.

Even more interesting, but strictly in the stage of rumor, is a report floating around concerning Jason Kidd and a potential sign-and-trade with Sacramento.

Kidd, who all along said the Nets were his first choice in free agency, seemed to back off during the Finals and after the Nets were beaten by the Spurs, saying he would look at all options and it would take time for a decision. Now, there are whispers of a sign-and-trade of Kidd for Mike Bibby and Hedo Turkoglu.

Nets team president Rod Thorn is hopeful Kidd stays put.

"We've got a good team. Obviously Jason is the catalyst and he makes it go. Hopefully he'll want to stay here and everything will work out," Thorn said.

Thorn said the first order of business for the Nets is the NBA Draft a week from tomorrow. What are the Nets looking for?

"It depends," Thorn said, "because at [pick] 22, we don't know who will be there. It could be a point guard, we might get an athletic small forward. Maybe we'll look at two guards."

* The Nets' draft workouts continue today. Among those expected in this week are a pair of 6-10 high school gems, Kendrick Perkins of Texas and Blair Academy's (Blairstown, N.J.) Charlie Villanueva . . . Ed Stefanski, Nets director of scouting, has another interview with the Blazers this week. Portland is expected to name Steve Patterson president, and Stefanski could be offered the GM job.

The Nets' big man inside eventually could be last year's first-round pick, Nenad Krstic. But when? There could be a snag getting him here for next season. "It's up in the air," Thorn said. "We thought he was coming, but once they [Partizan Belgrade] lost Milos Vujanic, the guy the Knicks have, they may want him to stay another year," Thorn said.

* Thorn on contract-extension talks with Byron Scott, who would enter his final contract year next season but has been roundly criticized for his Finals coaching, particularly in Game 6: "That is America; it's a 'What have you done for me lately?' situation. With Byron, you have to look at the body of work. We went to the Finals two straight years after winning 26 games."