Lost in the shuffle of the big shuffle were comments by two of the West's more driven playoff competitors: Phil Jackson and Tony Parker. Both of them like the Kidd trade because it sends Devin Harris...and Desagana Diop East.
Said Parker in an interview with the San Antonio Express News: "To be honest with you, I'm really happy for that trade. Diop was doing a good job on us. And Devin Harris, most of the time, he played good against us. So I thought it would be good for us. No disrespect to Jason Kidd, he's a great point guard, but those guys that left always gave us trouble."
Phil Jackson offered his take on the Nets-Dallas trade to Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register.
"I was a Devin Harris fan, so I'm happy to see him in the East, personally," the Lakers coach said. "He's a good player, took a lot of charges, an improving player, one of those young kids with good energy. Got the ball back for his team a lot. I know they'll miss him. But this is a trade that brings a lot of veteran leadership to Dallas."
Jackson told Ding the trade could help both teams, but he doesn’t understand why Dallas would mortgage its future by giving up Harris, 24, to get Kidd, who is about to turn 35. Ding reports as well that Jackson thought Dallas might be panicking needlesly. The owner of 10 NBA rings said he was asking his assistant coaches if Dallas is thinking its championship window is closing because Dirk Nowitzki is turning 30 in June.
"I still think he has three or four good years in his play," Jackson said.
Harris has proved capable to sticking with Bryant also despite a size disadvantage.