Only Jason Kidd knows how he really feels about New Jersey. He'll play next season for the defending Eastern Conference champion Nets -- sort of rolls off your tongue, doesn't it? -- and then, well, who knows? By then, the Nets could be steamrolling to a second conference title or returning to one of their usual rites of spring, the lottery. Neither scenario is beyond the realm of possibility in the East, where mediocrity reigns and Kidd finds himself a man among men simply because of who he is and what he does.

	Jason Kidd will get a max contract. Question is, will the Nets get to sign his paycheck?

Next year at this time, Kidd will, for the first time in his career, be on the verge of free agency. Money will not be the driving force in his decision, because, assuming he doesn't turn into Anthony Carter next year, he will command the maximum salary. It's like asking about the price of a yacht -- if you have to ask, you can't afford it. The bidding will start, and end, with the maximum.

He will unquestionably have more than a few suitors. Some of them (not named the Nuggets) might even be attractive. The Nets, of course, will put on the full-court press to keep him. There undoubtedly will be interest from San Antonio, which could put together an attractive package that would include a very nice enticement -- Tim Duncan. That's assuming Duncan hasn't already decided to re-visit the Orlando situation in earnest. Or, the Magic, losing out on Duncan, could make a pitch for Kidd to join Tracy McGrady and (we presume) Grant Hill in golf-friendly, state tax-free Florida. There are bound to be other attractions and, if the Nets find their situation hopeless, there's always the sign-and-trade possibility as well.

East vs. West? Hmmm. Which one sounds better right now? The chance to make it back to the NBA Finals with a team that might not even make the playoffs in the Western Conference, or the chance to go up against Shaq, Kobe, C-Webb, Mike Bibby, Dirk, Duncan and the boys all season and then again in the postseason? Tough one, huh?

That's one reason we couldn't understand Duncan staying in San Antonio, notwithstanding his laudable loyalty to Gregg Popovich. And since he made that fateful decision, the Spurs have twice been sent home by Shaq & Co. in the playoffs, going 1-8 in the painful process. If Duncan succumbs to the Orlando sales pitch this time around, you can rule out the Spurs as a potential landing spot for Kidd.

Kidd will be 30 at this time next year, and he will want this deal to be his last, best chance to win a title.

"I have another year, so we're not going to rush anything," Kidd said between Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals. "We're going to play it out. I'm like an option quarterback. I have a lot of options. One of them is to stay in New Jersey. We're going to play them all out and see what happens."

Doesn't exactly sound like a ringing endorsement for New Jersey, does it? He could have said, "I am very happy in New Jersey and want to finish my career here," or "This is the best team I've been on and I want to remain a part of it," or any other words that would have given the Nets more than just a hope that they can keep the guy.

Nets boss Rod Thorn said he thinks he'll be able to keep Kidd, as long as the Nets remain a viable team. No such guarantees there, boss. Thorn knows as well as anyone how quirky the Eastern Conference is. (And, by the way, did he happen to see his Nets when Kidd was on the bench? How do you say "backup point guard?")

And then there's the added twist of team CEO Lou Lamoriello. He's a certifiable puckhead, having been the Devils' main boss for the past 15 years. He also is known to place more credence in the concept of team over player, as in, to borrow a phrase, "organizations, not players, win championships." He just finished his first year as the Nets' chief executive officer. This time next year, he will be presented with his first real basketball contract issue. This isn't the NHL; the NBA is all about having star players if you want a chance to win. Kidd is, undeniably, a star.

Kidd showed this season that a true point guard, an option quarterback to use his terminology, makes a huge difference on the right team and in the right situation. He walked into a franchise previously defined by air balls, broken bones and utter hopelessness and futility and did what no one else has been able to do in its NBA incarnation. He talked 40 wins and everyone laughed. He talked playoffs and jaws collapsed. Then he went out and led the team to 52 wins, the conference crown, and what should have been a Most Valuable Player award.

	Scott and Kidd will, assuming all goes well, have at least one more year together. How they fare is going to go a long way in determining whether they have more than one year together. Right now, Kidd is merely the most important asset in the history of the franchise, or since the franchise joined the NBA.

"Jason's been everything that we could expect and more," understated Nets coach Byron Scott. "He's been a tremendous leader all season long. He's been everything to this franchise. He has given us an attitude as far as winning is concerned, and we have some young guys who have followed him and understand how important he is to this franchise. He carried us on his back a lot in the playoffs when it looked bleak in situations. I can't say enough about Jason. Just the way he plays the game of basketball, his professionalism on and off the court, he's truly a coach's dream."

Scott and Kidd will, assuming all goes well, have at least one more year together. How they fare is going to go a long way in determining whether they have more than one year together. Right now, Kidd is merely the most important asset in the history of the franchise, or since the franchise joined the NBA. That about sums it up.

Amenities, not contract dollars, could be the difference-maker. Other than paying Kidd $10 million-plus a year for starters, what else will the Nets do? Will they spend to get that extra body they need? Will they do all the other things that successful franchises do? Will they -- gasp -- become a place where free agents want to come simply for the chance to play with Kidd? At less than market value? Will they make it easier for the wives and children? Will they sign TJ to a lucrative ballboy deal and make Joumana the host of "Inside Nets Basketball?"

If I'm Thorn or Lamoriello, I try to do all that -- and more. Thorn has been in the NBA for decades; he knows what it was like in New Jersey B.K. He doesn't want to go back there. Lamoriello has been in New Jersey since 1987 (he moved from Providence, which may or may not be construed as an upgrade). He knows what happens when teams win and fannies show up in seats.

Kidd noted after the Game 4 loss to the Lakers that, "we just poured the foundation of us trying to build a home. They (the Lakers) already built their mansion, and they added a couple of guest houses. So for us, it's just the first step of going in the right direction."

The next step is making sure that Kidd is around to oversee the home construction as the uninhibited clerk of the works. Anything else would be disastrous.

Peter May, who covers the NBA for the Boston Globe, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.