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1. Jason Kidd

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When Jason Kidd was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the New Jersey Nets in a mega-trade, he was already established as the best Point Guard in the NBA, a mantle he kept in his few seasons with his new team.  Kidd transformed the Nets from a team missing the playoffs to an NBA Finals contender.  Kidd missed out on being the MVP (which he probably should have won), but he was again a First Team All-NBA and a First Team All-Defensive Selection.  Nobody in the history of the franchise ever turned around the team like Jason Kidd did.

While the 2001/02 season was arguably his best in the NBA, Kidd kept the Nets relevant for the next few years, earning Second Team All-NBA and First Team All-NBA Honors the next two years, while also being named to the All-Defensive squads.  Kidd would again take the Nets to the Finals in 2003 and would keep them in the Eastern Conference title picture.  As a Net, Kidd finished in the top five in Assists, which is hardly a surprise considering that he is (as of this writing) second all-time.  He also would lead the NBA in Steals in 2002.  His overall numbers with New Jersey would see him score 14.9 Points and 1.9 Steals per Game with an impressive 5.9 Rebounds per Game, an excellent number for a Point Guard.  Not surprisingly, his 9.1 Assists per Game was the highest number in the NBA during his tenure as a Net.

He would later be traded to Dallas, where he helped provide the leadership to win the NBA Championship in 2011.

Jason Kidd would enter the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 in his first year of eligibility and was also chosen for the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.  The Nets also retired his number 5 in 2013.

Kidd may not be the player with the most Points or Games Played in franchise history, but he is definitely the player who provided the most impact.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Point Guard
  • Acquired: Traded from the Phoenix Suns with Chris Dudley for Stephon Marbury, Johnny Newman and Soumaila Samake 7/18/01.
  • Departed: Traded to the Dallas Mavericks with Malik Allen and Antoine Wright for Maurice Ager, DeSagana Diop, Devin Harris, Trenton Hassell, Keith Van Horn, a 2008 1st Round Pick (which would be Ryan Anderson), and a 2011 1st Round Pick (which would be Jordan Crawford) 2/19/08.
  • Games Played: 506
  • Per Game Averages: 37.0 MP
    .459 eFG%
    .807 FT%
    14.6 PTS
    5.9 RB
    9.1 AST
    1.9 STL
    0.3 BLK

    78 Playoff Games
    41.6 MP
    .450 eFG%
    .785 FT%
    16.8 PTS
    8.2 RB
    9.1 AST
    1.8 STL
    0.3 BLK
  • Advanced Stats: 19.4 PER
    .505 TS%
    33.4 VORP
    56.6 WS

    78 Playoff Games
    19.2 PER
    .498 TS%
    6.0 VORP
    9.8 WS
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    First Team All-NBA (2002 & 2004)
    Second Team All-NBA (2003)
    All-Defensive First Team (2002 & 2006)
    All-Defensive Second Team (2003, 2004, 2005 & 2007)
    All-Star (2002, 2003, 2004, 2007 & 2008*)
    Most Assists (2002-03)
    Most Steals (2001-02)
    Most Assists per Game (2002-03 & 2003-04)
    Highest Assist Percentage (2003-04)

    *Traded to the Dallas Mavericks midway through the season.
  • Other Points of Note: Top Ten MVP Finishes:
    2nd in 2002, 9th in 2003 & 8th in 2004
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