Jason Kidd could have just taken a right turn. He could have followed the sounds of celebration and the scent of champagne and decided Sunday night, having been unable to beat the Spurs, to join them. He could have answered many of the mysteries of the NBA offseason the very moment it began.

An intruder from the other team might never have been more welcome. San Antonio defeated Kidd's New Jersey Nets 4-2 in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. But for all the Spurs' riches -- beginning with two-time MVP Tim Duncan and including a young roster that had been considered a year away -- perhaps no champion has ever been better positioned to get richer.

Even after taking the championship, the NBA's best team was still eager to add the best player from the runner-up.

Kidd did not make anything so simple, of course. He must still consider, among other things, whether to join a champion or to continue trying to transform the Nets into one.