NBA Rumors: J.R. Smith Would Make Los Angeles Clippers Championship Caliber

After the Los Angeles Clippers signed free agent power forward Kenyon Martin to a contract on Friday, signing free agent scorer J.R. Smith would make them a legitimate NBA Finals contender.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Clippers will pursue Smith when his season in the Chinese Basketball Association concludes.

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Under the CBA rules, Smith still can't return to the NBA until his Zhejiang Golden Bulls team's season is over. If the Golden Bulls miss the playoffs, it could open the door for Smith to return to the NBA by the All-Star weekend, Feb. 25-26.

The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers reportedly also have interest in Smith.

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Smith is a talented scorer and is someone who can provide instant offense and tremendous energy off the bench each night. Every team with championship aspirations needs a player like that.

Smith can shoot well from the three-point line, and he can take the ball to the basket and dunk with authority. He would also add some nice athleticism off the bench and help the Clippers be an even more dangerous team in transition.

Offseason signing Caron Butler has been a disappointment this season and is not providing head coach Vinny Del Negro with the scoring he needs from the shooting guard/small forward position. Butler is also averaging less than four rebounds and two assists per game thus far.

Smith has the ability to score 30 points off the bench and, if given enough playing time, could easily average 15-20 points a night while playing with elite players such as Blake Griffin and Chris Paul.

The Clippers lost a lot of their depth when they traded for Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets before the season, but adding Martin and Smith would help repair that lost depth.

All championship teams need depth and players who can come into games cold off the bench and perform well. Smith is a veteran player and also has playoff experience.

Signing Smith would make the Clippers a championship-caliber team and would give them a huge offensive boost on their bench.

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Nicholas Goss is an NBA Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report