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The debate will rage.

Did the Mavericks give up too much for Jason Kidd if this trade goes through? Did owner Mark Cuban mortgage the team's future and needlessly throw away a portion of his vast wealth to pull off the first trade for a star in his tenure?

The answer to these and other questions is simple.

If the Mavericks win a championship with Kidd, the trade was a good one.

If they don't, it wasn't worth it.

Rarely should trades be viewed in such stark terms. Too many variables exist to portray most deals as an either-or proposition.

But there is no nuance here. The Mavericks lusted for Kidd because they were convinced the team had no shot at the title this season. The impending move is an admission that coach Avery Johnson didn't believe his team possessed the mental toughness to go all the way.

Think back to Johnson's words on the eve of training camp. He explained management made small moves in the off-season, not big ones, because it believed in this team. He believed in this team.

Johnson declared he would no longer hold the Mavericks' hand. He would abdicate some authority so Dirk Nowitzki and others could grab it. When this Mavericks team began to mature mentally, Johnson said it would make progress.

Well, that progress never came. This is the most inconsistent the Mavericks have been since Johnson took over as coach. His vow to let the Mavericks mature lasted 20 games before he stripped Devin Harris of play-calling duties and reasserted his control over the team.

Everyone knows the Mavericks' fatal flaw. A team doesn't go up two games and three quarters in The Finals and fail to win another game if it's mentally tough. It doesn't lose to a No. 8 seed in the first round if it's confident in its ability.

The Mavericks have lost eight of their last 10 playoff games. Three of those losses were blowouts. The team has shown nothing in the first 3 ½ months of this season to make anyone believe that trend would be reversed.

This team hit the mental wall and wasn't going to break through. Johnson is tough as nails, but a coach can only fill so much of that void. It has to happen on the court.

Kidd isn't a vocal leader. But he is a leader. He still has the talent to impose his will on a playoff series the way Baron Davis did to the Mavericks in the first round last season.

Harris would be a significant loss. He's going to be a good point guard in this league for a long time. DeSagana Diop also would be missed. His absence inside would force Erick Dampier to stay out of foul trouble, stay on the court and justify his big contract.

Who knows what happens with the two first-round picks the Mavericks will have to give up? For every Josh Howard taken late in the first round, there is a Maurice Ager.

You can argue the Mavericks will give up too much of their future, but no one will know for several years. But please, don't make the argument that this team will give up too much depth.

Name one team that has ever won a title because of superior depth. You can't. You win titles with star players.

Getty Images

New Jersey's Jason Kidd (right) defends Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game.

A deep bench is wonderful during the regular season. It keeps key players fresh. It can be the difference in a division championship and a No. 5 seed. It may even win a game or two in the playoffs.

Again, it's not the overriding difference. A team may lose a title for lack of depth, but it doesn't win one.

This move isn't without risk. It limits the Mavericks' speed on the perimeter. It reduces their athletic ability inside. It makes them older in a league that places a premium on youth.

It also gives the Mavericks a hard-nosed competitor and proven winner. It gives them someone to make plays late in close games and ease the pressure on Nowitzki.

Is this trade worth it? Only Jason Kidd can answer that question.

And there is only one answer he can give that is acceptable.