Sometimes it Really Isn't the Money

Hedo Turkoglu was set to join the Trailblazers, but reneged on a verbal agreement with Portland to sign a five-year, $53 million deal with the Toronto Raptors. Why the change of heart? The Raptors added about $3 million to their initial offer, which certainly didn't hurt. But Toronto is a much larger, more cosmopolitan city -- with a large Turkish community -- and that may have put the Raptors over the top with the Turkoglu family.

Knicks fans are hoping Jason Kidd will make a similar lifestyle-over-basketball decision. As SI.com's Jeff Pearlman notes, Kidd can make far more money -- and win a lot more games -- by re-upping with the Dallas Mavericks. But Kidd is also a divorced father of three, and his kids live with his ex-wife, live in metro New York.

Knicks fans have to be hoping that "quality time with the kids" trumps "Dirk Nowitzki and an extra $6 million over three years."