"Loads of people wonder why the Mavericks are putting so much emphasis on re-signing Jason Kidd.

It's a fair question.

The answer, besides the fact that the 36-year-old point guard clearly can still play after a rock-solid showing last season, is status. And relevance, especially since it's the New York Knicks that the Mavericks are trying to one-up in the chase for Kidd.

Think of it this way: If you're the quarterback of the football team and you ask the popular cheerleader to the prom, but she goes with the president of the chess club, how would you feel?

That's what losing Kidd to New York would be like. Maybe the Mavericks aren't big men on the NBA campus. But as far away as they might be from contending for a championship, the Knicks are light years beyond that. If Kidd were to forsake the Mavericks for New York - and for less money - it would be a slap at the Mavericks' prestige.

Hey, if Mark Cuban's money is no good anymore, what's left?

This may not be the most important aspect of the situation. That detail about who plays point guard if Kidd doesn't return might be important to the Mavericks. J.J. Barea is great as a 20-minute guard. Not sure he's ready to guide a playoff team for 35 minutes a night, however.

But the Mavericks are dealing with critical issues with Kidd. Sign him and you have a legitimate chance to snag a big-time free agent in 2010. Lose him, and the chances diminish. Worse still, Dirk Nowitzki likes playing with Kidd. He liked playing with Steve Nash, too. The Mavericks do not want finding Dirk-friendly point guards to overtake finding Tony Romo-friendly wide receivers as the new local spectator sport."