Jason Kidd said it won't bother him to sit out the opening tip, but the 39-year-old isn't ready to abandon crunch time.

"I'd be fine with starting or not starting, but I want to be able to finish the game," Kidd said. "I'm all about winning at this point."

Kidd participated Monday in a teleconference to promote the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe next month and delved into his impeding free agency and that of Dallas Mavericks' prime free-agent target Deron Williams. Once again, Kidd said he'd like to play with Williams and even take a backup role to the younger All-Star.

However, this time Kidd added something of a caveat: He'll back Williams up until it's winning time and then he fully expects to be playing alongside him.

"If it's for me to start or for me not to start, I don't have a problem with that," Kidd said. "But being the competitor, I want to be in there at the end of the game to help my team win and help my teammates be successful. So I would be fine with starting or not starting, but I do want to finish the game. ... But also, to come in down the stretch, to be able to play alongside a guy like that (Williams), I think we can play off each other and be successful. That's something we can look at if that's something that gets done."

If Williams and Kidd come together as Mavs next season, it could create some interesting crunch-time lineup decisions for coach Rick Carlisle. Williams would seemingly run the point in late-game situations because of his superb ability to drive and create. That would leave Kidd off the ball, basically in Jason Terry's position, to set up for a perimeter jumper. Kidd, of course, has often become a spot-up shooter, and at times a good one, the last couple of seasons.

What if Terry re-signs? Does one of the game's best clutch performers take a seat? Even if Terry doesn't re-sign, is Kidd, who will be 40 entering next postseason, a good enough shooter or capable of getting off a quality shot consistently to take on that type of closing role? Might the Mavs sign a better perimeter shooter in free agency? What if the defensive matchups aren't favorable?

Hey, it's not like it would be an awful problem for Carlisle, who has gained the reputation for being quite the tactician.

At the same time, it is interesting that Kidd is floating his beliefs as to how he and Williams, if they do join forces, should be used when the game is on the line.