NBA Rumors: Clippers Reportedly Interested In Signing Reggie Jackson If Pistons Buy Him Out
This year’s NBA trade deadline may have just passed, but a number of teams are still hoping to improve their rosters, this time through the buyout market. These include the Los Angeles Clippers, who are reportedly considering acquiring veteran point guard Reggie Jackson, who may or may not be bought out by the Detroit Pistons.
In a tweet posted on Friday night, Marc Stein of The New York Times wrote that Jackson is “still assessing” whether to request a buyout from the Pistons or finish his contract with the team. He added that the Clippers have “emerged” as one of the 29-year-old guard’s top suitors, stressing as well that the organization has also been linked to Darren Collison, who retired last summer but is reportedly considering whether to make a comeback after several months away from the NBA.
As noted by Bleacher Report, Jackson has played just 10 games in the 2019-20 season due to a back injury and is averaging 14.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while making 40.4 percent of his three-point attempts. Per Basketball-Reference, he is on the final year of a contract that will pay him $18 million this season.
While Jackson remains a key part of Detroit’s rotation, Bleacher Report pointed out that the Pistons are apparently working on a rebuild, having traded All-Star center Andre Drummond shortly before Thursday’s trade deadline and shifting their focus toward their younger players, including guards Luke Kennard, Bruce Brown, and Svi Mykhailiuk, and rookie forward Sekou Doumbouya.
Nets fans started chanting “Bobby Shmurda” at Reggie Jackson.
He nailed the free throw and then hit the Shmoney Dance ? pic.twitter.com/a4lIJzG2F9
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 30, 2020
Given the Pistons’ current premium on youth, Bleacher Report opined that it would “make sense” if Jackson asks to be bought out, thus allowing him to sign with a championship contender like the Clippers. While the team has indeed been rumored to be among the top suitors for Collison, the publication stressed that their fellow Staples Center tenants — the Los Angeles Lakers — are also in the running for his services, hence the importance of having alternative targets such as Jackson.
Prior to Thursday’s trade deadline, the Clippers made a move that ostensibly strengthened their point guard rotation, acquiring Isaiah Thomas from the Washington Wizards in a three-way trade that also saw them land New York Knicks forward Marcus Morris. However, recent rumors suggested that Thomas might not stay long in Los Angeles, as the team is reportedly considering buying him out. Such a move would allow the Clippers to make way for Jackson, Collison, or any other potential target at point guard as they continue their push toward to hopefully represent the Western Conference in this year’s NBA Finals.
