New York, NY

In a move that caught many by surprise, point guard Jason Kidd has left the Dallas Mavericks to sign with the New York Knicks

"I think I can help," Kidd told ESPN.com after agreeing to a three-year deal worth $9 million with the Knicks, the same offer that the Mavericks brought to the table.

"The Knicks have more pieces to work with," added Kidd, who was believed to stay with the Mavericks before the surprising move was known. Kidd can sign the new deal July 11, the first day new NBA contracts can be signed.

The contract could be the last for Kidd, who will be 42 when the new contract expires. He can inherit the point guard role full time if the Knicks decline to match the Houston Rockets' offer to starting playmaker Jeremy Lin, a restricted free agent.

Kidd averaged 6.2 points and 5.5 assists last season, his 18th in the NBA. Kidd ranks second all-time with 11,842 assists, trailing only John Stockton (15,806).

Lin has reportedly agreed to sign a four-year offer sheet with the Rockets worth $28.8 million, with $10.2 million coming in the first two seasons and over $9 million in each of the last two. The fourth season is a team option.

The Knicks are expected to match the offer as they have no plan of letting Lin go. "They will match any offer on Lin up to 1 billion dollars," a source told ESPN.com.

Copyright © 2012 AHN. All rights reserved