Donuts: Kidd, Gortat And ... Shawn Marion?

   A Journalism 101 lesson, NBA Free-Agency-Style: Time to differentiate between “sourced material,’’ “educated guesses’’ and out-and-out baloney – and there is a lot of that being churned out of the sports butcher shop this morning. …

   This lesson is highlighted by Mavs-related news/non-news/fake news on Marcin Gortat, Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion. … it’s Wednesday Morning Donuts, in three convenient boxes!

   SOURCED DONUTS (GOOD – AND GOOD FOR YOU)

   DONUT 1. Marcin Gortat on Dallas’ ‘hmmmm’ list – I know he’s coveted by Houston (GM Daryl Morey is all a-Twitter about the Orlando backup center) and I think I know the cap-open Thunder will call him. I know his stats are less than impressive and I know he’s only 25. … and I know that despite Mark Cuban’s recent comments about the NBA being a game in which “you can’t have too many point guards,’’ the Mavs also think it’s a game where you can’t have too many 7-footers who are for sale in a buyer’s market.

   “Klaatu Barada Nikto!’’

    What I don’t know is how the nuts and bolts of making Marcin Gortat a Mav would work.

   DONUT 2. Jason Kidd will see you now -- There is gossip out there about a two-year offer, but DB.com was the first to write it and we’re sticking with it: the framework for Dallas’ offer to Kidd is most likely to be three years, averaging $8 mil annually, with the final season only partially guaranteed.

This is not to say Kidd doesn’t have an attraction to New York. It’s the “Mecca’’ and all that. But we’re talking about the difference between $5.6 million guaranteed and $20 million-plus guaranteed. Kidd likes money, too.

   DONUT 3: Andre Miller to Portland? – This would be a Sign-and-Trade, it would include Steve Blake going to Philly, and it would eliminate the Blazers from the field of Kidd Bidders.

   EDUCATED-GUESS DONUTS

   DONUT 4. Ron Artest and the loony bin – It’s still unclear just how available the Rockets will make him. Again, if Houston is serious about chasing Gortat – and it is – that is a suggestion that the Rockets are not on blow-it-up mode. Chris Anderson? Indications are he’ll soon have a verbal agreement to remain in Denver. Which leaves, from this category, Rasheed Wallace … coming off a disinterested season but still coveted by the likes of Orlando, Cleveland, Boston and San Antonio. … and a compelling option for the Mavs. He likes them, they are contemplating him, and would ‘Sheed screw his head on a little tighter if led by Jason Kidd?

   DONUT 5. The ‘Sheed answer to Donut 5 – No. Maybe he wouldn’t get his head screwed on.

   Credit to The 75-Member Staff at DB.com Boards for this one:

   Of the following, who do you think is the worst offensive rebounder -- per minutes, per game, whatever:
   Brandon Bass
   Erick Dampier
   Dirk Nowitzki
   Josh Howard
   Ryan Hollins
   Jason Kidd
   James Singleton
   Rasheed Wallace
   If you picked anyone but Wallace, you are wrong. Despite more minutes than most of those names, he still gets fewer offensive rebounds per game. Fewer than a guard, fewer than Dallas’ 10^th man, fewer than Dallas’ 12^th man.

   In fact, Gortat gets nearly twice as many O-rebounds as ‘Sheed. … and does so in just 12 minutes per game!

   There is a ‘Sheed temptation here. He is a Hall-of-Fame talent with a high BBIQ who could be Dallas’ starting center. … but might get outrebounded by Jason Kidd.

    DONUT 6. Avery Johnson and the Pistons – I think Avery Johnson is on the short list there (along with Doug Collins?). The Pistons have vast cap room … they want Ben Gordon, they can still chase Utah power forwards, they might want Charlie V. … but I wonder if prospective signees will want to know who the coach is before they join up?

    DONUT 7. Brandon Bass – I do not get the impression that “The Animal’’ was being blown away by lucrative midnight offers. Eventually, Orlando and I think New Orleans will make pitches. But maybe, in wanting a starting job/starter’s minutes – plus something in excess of the MLE – he’s shooting too high? Or maybe he’s going to have to wait until the loony bin is empty.

    DONUT 8. Hedo to Portland? -- The Blazers made some phone calls last night. In a grand gesture, Hedo was reportedly the first FA called.

    BALONEY-FILLED DONUTS (GROUND-UP ANIMAL PARTS)

    DONUT 9. Ariza to Portland? – The Blazers have been associated in rumors with everybody but Lindsey Lohan. Andre Miller? a good one. Hedo? A good one? But everybody, every FA, every rumor. ... all Portland-related? So let’s close the deal: Portland GM Kevin Pritchard is banging Lindsey Lohan. There. Done. OK?

  DONUT 10. “Rockets Target Bosh’’ – That’s the headline, and here’s the way this “story’’ appears on the SI Rumors Page:

   Once the Toronto Raptors figure out that Chris Bosh will be departing via free agency a year from now, they may be inclined to trade him this summer. Their choice is to trade him to the Rockets now and get something in return, or wait until he signs with the Rockets a year from now and get nothing.

    The SI Rumors Page: Setting journalism back 200 years.

    DONUT 11. CBSSports.com says what?! -- CBSSports.com is where Kidd could be going to Boston (what?), where Shawn Marion might be Sign-and-Trade Dallas-bound (what?) and where Rasheed Wallace is mentioned in conjunction with four teams but none of them are the Mavs (what?)

    DONUT 12. Kidd’s already turned down a Dallas offer? I’ll be careful here, because NY Newsday’s Alan Hahn has said nice things about DallasBasketball.com in the past, and we need all the friends we can get. But Alan – characterizing Mark Cuban’s Big Apple visit “desperate’’ -- writes that Kidd already turned down an offer from Cuban. … and Alan posts the story on Newsday’s website at ….9:53 p.m. EDT. … a full two hours and seven minutes before it would be legal for Cuban to make any proposal.

   Are we to believe that: a) Cuban traveled to New York to visit with Kidd at midnight, b) issued an illegal proposal two hours prematurely, c) Kidd turned down the illegal offer, d) that he did so with no offer in hand from the Knicks, Cavs or Lakers, and e) that after all the illegal dealing, either Cuban or Kidd called New York Newsday to inform the paper of it?