Kidd goes back to Dallas in eight-player trade

DALLAS (Reuters) - Eight-times All-Star point guard Jason Kidd returned to Dallas on Tuesday when the Mavericks completed an eight-player trade with the New Jersey Nets.

The Mavericks said on their Web site (www.nba.com/mavericks) they had dealt Devin Harris, Gana Diop, Trenton Hassell, Moe Ager, Keith Van Horn, two draft picks and money to acquire Kidd, Malik Allen and Antoine Wright from New Jersey.

Kidd, who turns 35 next month, made his NBA debut with the Mavericks in 1994. He left for the Phoenix Suns in 1996 before joining the Nets five years later.

Dallas is third in the Southwest Division behind the San Antonio Spurs and the pacesetting New Orleans Hornets.

The deal represents another big move in the Western Conference. Earlier this month the Los Angeles Lakers brought in Spaniard Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix acquired Shaquille O'Neal from the Miami Heat.

Despite his age Kidd remains one of the best point guards in the league and will fill a position head coach Avery Johnson has considered a problem spot.

Kidd was chosen as the second overall pick in the 1994 draft, having been High School Player of the Year, and he made an instant impact to become Rookie of the Year in 1995.

He helped Phoenix into the playoffs in each season he was with the Suns before being traded to the Nets.

In New Jersey he helped turn the team around as a youthful side reached the franchise's first NBA finals in 2002. A year later they repeated the feat but both appearances ended in defeat.

Kidd, who has 99 career triple doubles, is averaging 11.3 points with 10.4 assists and 8.1 rebounds this season and featured for the Eastern Conference in Sunday's All-Star game.

(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; editing by Tony Jimenez)