The breakup of the Mavs started when Cuban opted to allow Tyson Chandler to walk as a free agent, with the Knicks spending the kind of money that the Mavs did not want to tie up in their starting center. Chandler’s $60 million deal, over four seasons, was viewed in many NBA quarters as another example of the Knicks overspending.

Besides losing Kidd, the Mavs saw Jason Terry leave for Boston as a free agent. The new-look Dallas team includes first-time Mavs O.J. Mayo, Darren Collison, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand.

“That’s just the business of basketball,’’ Kidd said. “It happens. A lot of championship teams have been broken up before. It’s not something new.’’

via Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News