Rumors have been heating up as the NBA trade deadline gets closer. Year after year teams make moves that put them in position to make a playoff run or they dump contracts in attempt to prepare for free agency or the NBA Draft. With that said, Reggie Jackson of the Oklahoma City Thunder has recently demanded a trade to the Thunder front office.
Players normally demand trades when they are in a toxic playing environment or if they don’t receive the playing time that they think they deserve. In Jackson’s case it’s a little odd, because he has been a key cog for the Thunder since the departure of James Harden three seasons ago. It may be frustrating that GM Sam Presti hasn’t committed to Jackson and refused to offer him a contract, but Jackson has to realize that this is a business.
Despite having a solid season averaging 12.4 ppg to go along with 4.2 apg things have changed as of late for Jackson. Since the arrival of Dion Waiters, Jackson’s role has diminished, and he has had a drop in production. I honestly feel that Jackson can still flourish in his role off the bench, because as a team the Thunder only have a few people that can score outside of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
After starting off slow, the Thunder are gaining ground on a playoff position. Whether the Thunder gets in as a seventh or eighth seed they will have a great chance to play spoiler in the Western Conference. If I am Jackson I cherish this last season as a member of the Thunder, and wait to cash in during free agency. Reggie Jackson has the luxury to play alongside two All-NBA performers and possibly having a chance to compete for a title, but he’s is irate and wants out of town.
Maybe Reggie Jackson is forgetting that he is Reggie Jackson, but I think he needs to pump the breaks. It’s okay to be frustrated about the contract issues, but in five months that will no longer be an issue. The NBA is a point guard league, so Jackson has a case to get a hefty contract even if his play doesn’t match up to the dollar amount. I believe that if
Jackson is traded his game will be exposed, and he could end up in a situation where he could be on a third team in two seasons due to the lack or commitment from the trades for him.
When looking at a lot of teams in the NBA, point guard isn’t a glaring hole for many teams. Bad teams such as the Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and Sacramento Kings even have solid point guard play. It would be wise for Jackson to keep quiet and ride the coattails of two of the best players in the NBA, because he looks like a quality player next to them.
With Reggie Jackson possibly getting traded to the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, or a young team looking for a stop-gap point guard people may see his game for what it really is, which may hinder his free agency negotiations this summer. It would be a shame for Jackson to lose out on potential money all because he wants a bigger role for a team that will have unlikely chance to make the playoffs.
Memo to Reggie Jackson: It’s perfectly fine to be upset about your role on the OKC Thunder, but you are out of line to demand trade. Just sit back, accept your role, because you won’t play with players the same magnitude as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as soon as you are shipped out of town.
And yeah, Stars demand trades–not role players.
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