Many people see the way Devin Harris has blossomed into New Jersey's best player and playmaker and are quick to trash the Mavs for the one the got away. However, taking a look at the numbers, style of play, and overall contribution of the players to their respective teams may give the haters a different perspective.
First, lets start with the obvious. During his time in Dallas, Devin Harris had more than 10 assists a grand total of 1 time. Since the trade, his replacement, Jason Kidd, has achieved that benchmark 46 times. Obviously, they are two different players. J-Kidd is a pass first, unselfish to a fault pure point guard. Devin Harris is a scorer who is one of the most effective penetrating point guards in the game. But, this stat is important for one reason: Consistency. During the Devin Harris years, the Mavs absolutely relied on Devin Harris to score. Without him, the Mavs were barely above league average. So why trade him?
It is safe to say in the NBA that point guard is a vital position. In his first four years, Devin Harris played 76, 56, 80, and 64 games. Over that same time period, Jason Kidd played 66, 80, 80, and 80 games. While the Mavs no doubt enjoyed Harris' playmaking ability, they certainly had concerns that his fearless ability to drive to the basket would lead to injury. Driving to the basket may be an effective way to win games, but only if you can stay on the court.
The key thing to note is that Devin Harris is a streaky scorer, but Jason Kidd is not a streaky passer. Night in and night out you get the same, consistent effort to pass the ball and do the little things right from Kidd. Devin Harris can be a non factor for 3 quarters and still end up with 20+ points. The result of that type of play is that the team has to lean on Devin Harris through the good and the bad stretches in order to get the most out of him. These good and bad stretches can literally be a quarter to quarter proposition.
For a team with championship aspirations, that type of play can be limiting to the team's greater success. It is hard to win a game if you don't know what you are going to get night in and night out.
The Mavericks main problem with the Jason Kidd acquisiton was not Kidd for Harris in and of itself, but rather a lack of understanding of the Mavs on court effectiveness. A look at the Mavs success leads you directly to Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, and Josh Howard and their ability to get their own shot. If the Mavs are not playing at a quick pace, Jason Kidd is essentially useless other than being a decent spot up 3 point shooter.
Another thing that Dirk, JET, and Howard share is that they rely heavily on their midrange jumpshot which leaves a disturbing lack of players taking the ball to the basket. Unfortunately, that is the one thing Devin Harris excels at.
The solution is simple. Utilize Jason Kidd by making a strong commitment running up and down the court or bring in players who are most effective feeding off of the offense rather than creating their own offense. With respect to the second factor, the Mavs have added the perennial system product in Shawn Marion. By utilizing Kidd's passing abilities with Marion's athleticism, the Kidd trade may begin to bear real fruit.
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