Jason Kidd has shook hands with the Dallas Mavericks, committing to a verbal agreement to sign with the team.
Insiders claimed that the 36-year-old point guard will be paid in the region of US$25 million on a three-year deal.
Kidd was said to have rejected the Knicks to stay with the Mavericks, with New York offering the most they were allowed to, a US$19 million deal over three years.
Signing Kidd for more than a season would have taken the Knicks a step back in their attempt to accumulate salary cap space for the offseason of 2010, when they'll try to court reigning MVP LeBron James and another top-tier free agent.
If Kidd did go to the Big Apple, Knicks president Donnie Walsh would have been pressured to trade Eddy Curry and Jared Jeffries, but team sources claim that Walsh and head coach Mike D'Antoni felt that signing Kidd would have been worth the trouble, such is the confidence they have in the veteran guard's leadership.
Kidd was reported to be interested in heading back East, but the Mavs were always the frontrunner for his signature as they could easily outbid the Knicks in terms of salary.
Although Kidd did hint that he would decide on his future after the weekend, Dallas pushed hard with their deal when Kidd and Mavs owner Mark Cuban met at the technopreneur's house.
Wednesday is the first day teams can formally sign free agents to new contracts after the NBA announces the salary cap and luxury tax figures for the 2009-10 season.
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