NBA Free Agency 2011: Could J.R. Smith Be in the Plans for the Chicago Bulls?

During the NBA lockout, guard J.R. Smith signed with a team in the Chinese Basketball Association. Part of the deal was that he would not be able to opt out of his contract; therefore, he would have to remain in China until March.

Or so we thought.

Smith, along with teammates Wilson Chandler and Kenyon Martin, have been trying to get out of their contracts so they can return to the NBA as soon as possible.

It now sounds like they might get a little help in their fight.

Part of the new CBA allows teams to put $500,000 toward a buyout of Chinese contracts. This does not mean the Chinese team has to accept the buyout; however, this should at least help.

With Tracy McGrady now off the market, the Bulls are left wondering if Jamal Crawford or Jason Richardson will accept less money to sign in Chicago. If neither does, then maybe Smith could be the answer.

Smith, 26, would provide the Bulls with an extra shooter as well as someone who can create his own shot. While he might not be the greatest defensive player, he did average two steals a game a few years back.

Along with Ronnie Brewer, Smith would give coach Tom Thibodeau a nice one-two punch at the shooting guard spot. Maybe this could be a little like Ron Harper and Steve Kerr back in the day.

An added bonus is that Smith is comfortable coming off the bench since he has started only 129 of his 503 games. Smith could be the proven scorer the "Bench Mob" was lacking last season and give the Bulls a real sixth man.

Smith would also provide Chicago with a 37 percent three-point shooter. He shoots 42 percent overall from the field.

Along with the scoring punch, he would give the Bulls a decent rebounder at the position. He averaged a career-high four rebounds last season.

All of this is pure speculation at the moment, but if the Bulls do strike out in free agency then maybe Gar Foreman would make a call to China.

If the Chinese team doesn't agree to the buyout, then maybe the Bulls will look at Smith in March when he is free to return. Adding Smith with a month to go in the season would be like making a trade without having to give anyone up. That's what we call a win-win.

Even though I would prefer Richardson, adding Smith wouldn't be too bad at all.