Chicago Bulls to Target Steve Nash, Jason Kidd in Free Agency
By Josh Hill
When Derrick Rose tore his ACL in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the Bulls, it opened a void at point guard that has yet to be filled. Chicago doesn’t have a viable long term solution at the position and are now forced into a spot they didn’t want to be in — allocating money that should have been spent on a shooting guard and using it to try and find a point guard replacement.
That replacement is looking like it could very well be one of two future Hall of Famer’s looking for work this offseason.
Pippen Ain’t Easy reported earlier last month that Steve Nash could potentially be on the list of targets the Bulls were looking at in free agency. As we head into June it’s looking more an more like this could be a reality.
But another name as entered the game: Jason Kidd. Aggery Sam from CSN-Chicago is reporting that Kidd is a player that has been inside the minds of Bulls executive for a while now and could be headed to Chicago is Steve Nash can’t be lured or ends up out of the Bulls price range.
Although money is tight, the Bulls can finagle their way out of some deals and into some cold cash to get Nash or Kidd. Chicago is excepted to go after minimum veteran level free agents that fall into their price bracket, but sources told Aggery Sam and CSN-Chicago that the Bulls will make a serious run at Jason Kidd at the very least.
The way the Bulls will come into the money to make a run at Kidd is they will likely cut Ronnie Brewer. Despite having a few mild playoff performances and talking big entering the 2012 season, Brewer didn’t do a whole lot to convince the Bulls that picking up his $4.3 million option was detrimental to future success.
Besides the Bulls drafted Jimmy Butler last year to serve as a replacement for Brewer moving forward.
C.J. Watson could also be out the door as the Bulls have until July 10th to decide on whether or not they should pick up his $3.2 million option. If both Brewer and Watson are cut by the July 10th deadline the Bull will be off the hook for and will be able to then spend a grand total of $7.5 million on a free agent point guard like Jason Kidd.
The Bulls can also cut Kyle Korver by this date as well and only be on the hook for $500,000 of his $5 million 2013 contract.
C.J. Watson is the most likely to return out of all of the potential Bulls free agents because he’s currently the only point guard on the roster for Chicago. Korver may also return but the Bulls are strapped for cash and the further isn’t built around Korver, Brewer and Watson it’s build around Deng, Noah and Rose.
Deng’s contract his up after the 2013-14 season which means the Bulls have one year left with their core of players that have been in place since 2009. Rose will miss most of next season which means 2013-14 is a make or break year for the core.
However the Bulls will want to salvage as much of next season as they can and if it means going to semi-drastic measures and gutting the Bench Mob to get a superstar point guard who can then run along side Rose when he returns, then the Bulls will do that for \the greater good of the core.
If Kidd (who has one championship ring in his carer) or Nash (who is still chasing his first ring) come to Chicago, it will be under the impression that they will be the stating point guard until Rose returns. When Rose returns, then the Bulls can play with their rotations and instantly become a championship caliber team.
The biggest issue the past two years has been the lack of scoring at shooting guard and the lack of a No. 2 scorer. If Nash or Kidd arrive in Chicago the Bulls can run a two point guard system when Rose returns and can at times have Steve Nash/Jaosn Kidd, Derrick Rose and Rip Hamilton the floor at the same time as Luol Deng and Joakim Noah (or Taj Gibson).
But no one is promising that Kidd or Nash will want to accept a reduced salary to come to Chicago and try and win one final or their first championship. Nash would be the most likely to be lured in despite the pay as Kidd’s pursuit for a ring is less intense.
Nevertheless it should be an interesting offseason moving forward for the Bulls as the 2012-13 season may not be as much of a wash as most people are expecting.
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