Jason Kidd did not fly back with his teammates following their second straight NBA Finals loss. Now, as the countdown begins, the question is, will the Nets point guard stay apart from them?
Kidd officially becomes a free agent on July 1, free to talk to the Spurs or any other team. And if you go by his comments following the Nets' 88-77 Game6 meltdown in San Antonio, Kidd is ready to be courted.

"This is my second time coming short of winning that championship trophy," said Kidd, who plans to take a quick vacation and cannot sign a contract until July 16.

"So I've got to find a team - or stay with the Nets - that has a better chance of winning that championship trophy. That's what I play this game for."

Nets president Rod Thorn said Kidd returned to New Jersey yesterday but gave no explanation for why he did not come back with his teammates.

Nets officials have long said that Kidd is staying. When asked after Sunday night's loss if he could say with certainty he would stay a Net, Kidd said he could not. Kidd's comments could have been tinged by a stinging loss that saw his team get clocked by a 19-0 fourth-quarter Spurs run. Or, he might have been maintaining his leverage.

What is sure is that is going to explore his options. And there might not be many for him. There are only a handful of teams that are expected to have the cap space to accommodate him - the Spurs, Clippers, Nuggets and Jazz, according to Kidd's agent, Jeff Schwartz.