NBA Rumors: Jason Kidd Would Be a Perfect Fit with New York Knicks

Free-agent point guard Jason Kidd recently said he would be open to joining the New York Knicks, a development which should make Spike Lee and the rest of you Knick-lovers absolutely giddy.

According to northjersey.com, the 39-year-old Kidd is set on playing next season, with Dallas, Chicago, Brooklyn and New York all being possibilities. Although New York can't offer him as much money as the other teams, Kidd was intrigued by the idea of mentoring Jeremy Lin.

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"That would be a lot of fun, to be able to help a young player like that," Kidd said of Lin. "He has all the tools. We saw that before he got hurt. To help him understand it’s a long season, to pace yourself, and that he’s got to work extremely hard. Also, to share the things that help me be successful and help him be a better player."

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While Kidd will certainly be keeping his options open, there's no denying that he would be a perfect fit in New York.

Although they have some flaws, the Knicks' roster is already loaded with talent.

They have a dynamic point guard (Lin), two elite one-on-one scorers (Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire), the best interior defender in the NBA (Tyson Chandler), one of the league's best perimeter defenders (Iman Shumpert) and a couple knockdown outside shooters (Steve Novak and J.R. Smith, should they re-sign him). Throw in do-it-all role player Landry Fields, and this team almost has every ingredient necessary to compete for the title.

All they need now is a veteran presence in the backcourt, a little depth up front and someone who's not completely allergic to passing. Kidd fits two of those three descriptions, plus he brings some outside shooting to the table.

For most of this season, the Knicks' main issues were ball movement and injuries. While Kidd can't make the team stay healthy, he can use his infectious passing to spice up a Knicks offense that has the weapons to terrorize the league.

With so many guys who can light up the scoreboard, there's no excuse for this team to average just 97.8 points per game. They should lead the NBA in scoring every year that this core is intact, and if Jason Kidd comes to Madison Square Garden, they will do just that.

Even in his ripe old age, Kidd is one of the best passers in the world. He makes everyone around him better, and his presence alone leads guys to be more unselfish with the basketball.

He is exactly what the Knicks need, and if he's looking to win another title before he retires, they are exactly what he needs as well.