NBA Free-Agent Rumors: Jason Kidd Would Be Perfect Stopgap for Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls are facing an uncertain season with star point guard Derrick Rose working his way back from a serious knee injury. In order to avoid it becoming a wasted campaign, the Bulls should make a strong push to sign Jason Kidd.

Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago reports the team will look at several options during the offseason, including Kidd. The Bulls' main selling point is the opportunity to win a championship, since they have limited wiggle room due to the salary cap.

The veteran point guard enters free agency after his least productive season of his career. The Dallas Mavericks had a disappointing season across the board, failing to make a significant impact one season after winning the title.

Kidd averaged six points and six assists in 29 minutes during the regular season, all of which were career lows. The reason to still have some optimism about his ability to run an offense came in the playoffs, when he chipped in 12 points, six assists and six rounds per game.

That's the type of across-the-board production fans have come to expect from Kidd. He's not a dynamic scorer, but as long as he scores enough to keep defenses honest, he's still capable of being a productive member on a contending team.

And that's all the Bulls really need.

They have enough talent throughout the roster to remain one of the Eastern Conference's top teams even with average point guard play. It's something they proved while Rose was sidelined at various points throughout the season.

So acquiring a veteran like Kidd, who will understand his role and have plenty of motivation to get another title before calling it quits, should provide the boost the Bulls need to avoid a forgettable season.

There will be extra pressure on Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer to pick up the scoring slack, but that actually might be a good thing for the long term. Both of those players have always deferred to Rose, so taking on a more prominent role will have them in better form come playoff time.

Chicago has one of the deepest rosters in the league, making it one of the few teams that could absorb a blow like losing Rose and still stay competitive. Kidd would be the perfect complementary piece to make sure everything progresses without a hitch.

If Rose ends up returning at some point late in the season, Kidd would still have value coming off the bench to make sure the young superstar doesn't overdo it right away. His veteran leadership will also be an asset come playoff time.

It's a low-risk move that could pay off in a big way for the Bulls if they can convince him to take a smaller deal than other teams may offer. The front office should put on a full-court press over the summer to convince Kidd it's a good fit.

Signing him would give the team some much-needed stability in what's otherwise shaping up to be a mystery season without Rose.