Deaven George is still blocking the Jason Kidd trade.
“I don’t think the trade is going anywhere,” George said, suggesting that the deal could still happen as planned by insisting that he merely wanted to wait for a late-night conference with agent Mark Bartelstein to hear all the details involved before making a binding decision.
“I think it’s right there, but it’s kind of messed up how all the fingers are pointing at me.”
Yeah, Deaven, it’s really messed up. Why would they point fingers at the person holding up the trade?
I am trying to gain a better understanding about the rule that George is envoking – here is what ESPN’s Mark Stein says:
Although Kobe Bryant is the only player in the league with a specific no-trade clause in his contract, league rules dictate that players on a one-year contract — but who also ended last season with the same team and are thus eligible for Early Bird or full Larry Bird free-agent rights at the end of the contract — cannot be traded without their consent. George, who earns $2.4 million this season, is one of 18 such players in the league at present, afforded the right to either approve or veto trades because those Bird rights are lost if they do get traded.
That doesn’t really clear it up, does it?
George is currently starting for the injury-riddled Mavericks and apparently he and his agent like his current situation.
George started against Portland last night and went 0 for 11, failing to score a point in 33 minutes of play. Ouch.
