It’s been a rough month for the Detroit Pistons and the team’s point guard, Reggie Jackson, believes he can play better to help the team. But is it too late already to redeem himself?
According to a Dec. 19 report from Dave Early of Liberty Ballers, the Pistons are hoping to trade Jackson.
Jackson has somehow found his groove over the past couple of weeks, but the team’s performance hasn’t followed suit. They started the season winning four straight games but lately, they have only won three of their last eight games. The losses are mounting and it’s only a matter of time before the blame goes to the players, particularly anyone outside of franchise players Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond.
If they should decide to trade the Boston College graduate to another team before the Feb. 7 trade deadline, here are their three best trade options for Reggie Jackson:
*Note: The trades below were simulated using ESPN’s NBA Trade Machine
3. Pistons receive: SG Kent Bazemore, SF Vince Carter
Hawks receive: PG Reggie Jackson, SG Reggie Bullock, future second-round pick
Trading a point guard should normally net you another point guard in return. In this case, a swap between the Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks will give Detroit a shooting guard and a small forward combo in return in the form of Kent Bazemore and Vince Carter. The Hawks, though, will also demand a pick in return even if it is a second-rounder.
Though they already have an outstanding young player at the point in Trae Young, Atlanta would do well to pair him for the next year and a half with Jackson. The veteran guard will be a mentor to the superstar-to-be and it will allow Jackson to grow as a player as well. His backcourt mate Reggie Bullock will replace the outgoing Bazemore at the shooting guard position.
For the Hawks, they receive a more consistent scorer at the two-guard spot with Bazemore. He’s a 3-and-D player who will allow Griffin and Drummond to take some time off on offense while also providing terrific defense on the perimeter. Carter is a good veteran to have on the bench and he’ll provide some much-needed offensive relief in spurts. If they reach the playoffs, he will be a stabilizing factor during critical moments in the game.
2. Pistons receive: PG Jordan Clarkson, C Ante Zizic
Cavaliers receive: PG Reggie Jackson, future second-round pick
A rebuilding team like the Cleveland Cavaliers may be on the lookout for more draft picks but they might also want to acquire an experienced point guard who can give the position some stability. Though Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson are co-existing as the team’s playmakers at the moment, the Cavs may want to trade the latter for Jackson as a more mature player to come alongside the former. They will also receive a second-rounder in exchange that will offset the fact that Jackson has another year on his contract.
For the Pistons, Clarkson may progress further without Sexton getting in the way of his own development as a player. Playing with Griffin who is playing as a point forward in the Pistons system, Clarkson would have more opportunities to work on his offensive game. Ante Zizic will learn from Drummond as he comes off the bench to relieve the All-Star center.
1. Pistons receive: SG Tim Hardaway, Jr.
Knicks receive: PG Reggie Jackson, future first-round pick
Perhaps the best deal that the Motor City can make for Jackson would be to trade him in exchange for the New York Knicks Tim Hardaway Jr. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard can be a combo guard for Detroit and provide consistent scoring from the backcourt. He would be a terrific complementary player to their All-Star frontcourt and provide another scorer for the Pistons who are only 24th in the league in offensive rating and in overall points per game.
Hardaway’s growth would be put in the spotlight as his play is going to determine whether Detroit makes it to the playoffs or not. With a 17-19 record and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, the University of Michigan alum will have a lighter load than trying to carry the Knicks who are without its injured franchise player, Kristaps Porzingis. Playing for the Pistons would free up Hardaway to score with lesser defensive pressure from opponents. Coach Dwane Casey should be able to find a way to help the 26-year old guard take the next step in becoming a star in his own right.
By obtaining Jackson in place of Hardaway, the Knicks get a player with a lighter contract and a first-round pick to go along with him. It’s unlikely that the Knicks will be making a run to the playoffs even with Porzingis’ eventual return to the lineup.
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