Jason Kidd, as a Net, used to torment the Knicks at the Garden. It’s been said a statue would have been built on Eighth Avenue had the point-guard magician played during his prime for the Knicks and not across the Hudson.
At age 39, it probably is too late for a statue, but maybe Kidd now has a chance for another championship ring. He is coming to New York, feeling he has a better shot at winning his second championship with the Knicks than the Mavericks, according to a source close to him.
Take that, Brooklyn.
Kidd, in a surprising reversal, shunned the Mavericks yesterday after reportedly agreeing to a three-year deal worth $9.5 million. The move will become official Wednesday, the day the NBA’s free-agency moratorium ends.
As the Knicks’ key offseason addition, Kidd will become Jeremy Lin’s mentor.
The Knicks already were in the midst of chasing eager-to-return ex-point guard Raymond Felton, a younger player who once fit in wonderfully with Amar’e Stoudemire on the pick-and-roll but does not have Kidd’s cache. But people familiar with the situation said Kidd was immediately available to sign while Felton was still playing the field.
In choosing Kidd over Felton and after chasing Steve Nash, the Knicks shouted they are going for it all next season. It’s doubtful Kidd has more than one season left at a high level, despite a three-year deal. He is the second-oldest player in Knicks history and his outside shooting has gotten worse and his defense has slipped slightly. But he loves the Garden.
“He loved playing in the Garden,’’ former Nets president Rod Thorn told The Post yesterday. “Some of his best games, some of his best games I’ve ever seen him play, came at the Garden. We were fortunate enough to win a lot of them. He was his best there.’’
Kidd has the intangibles and playmaking ability to get the Knicks’ trio of Carmelo Anthony, Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler cranking. “It tells the NBA they are not only in ‘win-now’ mode, they are in ‘win-immediately-now’ mode,’’ one NBA executive told The Post.
The Knicks and Mavericks worked yesterday on a sign-and-trade for Kidd, so the Knicks could keep their $3.09 million taxpayer mid-level exception. The team can use all or part of their $3.09 million mid-level exception to sign another free agent, perhaps O.J. Mayo to replace Landry Fields, or center Marcus Camby. The Knicks also still have Spanish League point guard Pablo Prigioni on their radar.
Kidd joins his buddy, Chandler, who teamed with him to upset the Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. That was one giant factor in his decision, according to the source.
The other factor, Knicks brass stressed to Kidd, was the club wanting him as mentor to Lin, the 25-year-old undrafted Harvard point guard. The Knicks plan on matching the Rockets’ offer sheet.
Kidd had joked on Twitter recently after a golf outing with Deron Williams about becoming a tandem with the Nets superstar. Now he is the enemy.
One day after Nash ditched them for La-La Land and the Lakers, the Knicks made their splash. Kidd, who spent parts of seven seasons with the Nets, making it to the NBA Finals twice, talked about playing with Lin before free agency began. But indicated he saw himself as a starter.
“Lin was playing extremely well before he got hurt and they were playing well, so we’ll see what happens,’’ Kidd said. “Eventually, Lin will have the tools. He still has to learn the game, but I think eventually he’ll be a starter in this league.’’
He also mentioned the appeal of Chandler, who is in Las Vegas, gearing up for today’s U.S. Olympic training camp.
“Being a teammate of Tyson’s and understanding what he brings to the table every night, it can only help,’’ Kidd said. “He’s a great guy, I love Tyson, he was one of my favorite teammates. He had a heckuva year. We missed him in Dallas.’’
marc.berman@nypost.com