The deeper that we get into the regular season, the more indications we get about what the free agency market will look like this offseason.
The deeper that we get into the regular season, the more indications we get about what the free agency market will look like this offseason.
Of course, executives around the league always have tough decisions to make about who they plan to re-sign as well as who they plan to pursue or let walk during free agency. But as the season progresses, it becomes a bit easier to evaluate who would be a good fit for their franchise and who might not be.
As part of our ongoing series at HoopsHype, we are looking at whose free agency stock has gone up – and down – over the last several games.
Note: All statistics are accurate as of games before April 16, 2021.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Reggie Jackson might hear about this one for a while — and young New Orleans Pelicans big man Jaxson Hayes might be celebrating this one for a while.
In the Pels’ win Sunday night over the Clips, Hayes slammed all over Jackson — who tried to take the charge but didn’t get the call — and the video and photos make it a nominee for dunk of the year (I think Anthony Edwards might have this one at the moment, though). At the very least, it’s a posterization of the year front-runner!
The Philadelphia 76ers could look at a guy like Reggie Jackson in free agency.
The NBA season is set to return and finish the 2019-20 season, but it does not hurt to continue looking at the 2020 offseason and what it means for the Philadelphia 76ers. To that point, Sixers Wire is going to continue their player profiles for potential free agency options for the Sixers.
By now, everybody knows this team’s needs in the offseason. They need some shooting, they need some point guard help off the bench, and they need a backup big man as well who can provide some strong play off the bench. So this specific player will be a nice backup to Ben Simmons.
Reggie Jackson
Jackson fills a couple of different needs for Philadelphia. He not only can be a reliable backup point guard, but he has proven to be a more than capable starting point guard when called upon. He can also shoot the ball as well and at 30-years old, probably would come pretty cheap considering all of the injuries he has suffered in his career. He would want to come in and provide some good play behind Simmons and compete for a title.
All of that could change if he decides to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers who are also contenders out West, but Jackson can do a lot of different things for Philadelphia.
He is shooting 45.2% from deep in nine games with the Clippers before the season was suspended and before that, he shot 37.8% from deep in1 4 games with the Detroit Pistons. He can create off the dribble as well as spot up and shoot the ball as well and that is an attractive asset for the Sixers.
The Sixers only have about $6 million to use this offseason so it’s going to be up to general manager Elton Brand to use the money wisely. Jackson can be a good addition to this team and fill a lot of needs. [lawrence-related id=30593,32800,32788]
We are looking at the three backup point guard options for the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency in 2020.
The free agency class of 2020 is nothing special, but that does not mean that there are not a few gems out there that can help a team. For the Philadelphia 76ers, they do not need to make a big splash. They already have a core that the team believes can do some damage in the postseason and win a title.
However, there are a few needs that they can go after in free agency with the little money they have to play with.
One of those needs is at backup point guard. The Raul Neto and Trey Burke free agency signings of 2019 did not work out and Alec Burks will probably look for greener pastures elsewhere. So, Sixers Wire is going to look at the backup point guard options out there for the Sixers with the roughly $6 million they have to play with.
Los Angeles Clippers big man Patrick Patterson was recently a guest on The HoopsHype Podcast. Listen to the interview above or read the transcribed conversation below.
What was your reaction when the NBA announced that they were suspending the season after Rudy Gobert tested positive for coronavirus?
Patrick Patterson: Initially, it was disbelief. There was also a little bit of anger just because, being an athlete playing in the NBA, you want to compete. You want to play the game that you love and you want to be out there as much as possible, so there was a little bit of anger and a lot of disbelief, a lot of questions. “Why?” “How?” Obviously, “What’s next?” It took me a while actually to get around to, “Okay, are those guys alright? Is anyone else infected with the virus? What’s the next move for them? Are they going to be stuck there, quarantined, or do they get to fly back? What about their families?” It took me a while to get around to the virus itself and the players and individuals and families and fans that were around them and have been around them. But initially, man, I would say – just like a lot of people – it was just a whole bunch of disbelief and questions and a little bit of anger.
With the NBA lifestyle, you’re traveling so much and interacting with many different people. Were you concerned that you could be at risk?
PP: Yeah, definitely, especially when we were playing for a while and the virus was talked about and, all of a sudden, the NBA puts out a statement saying that players can no longer really interact with the fans on a personal level – no slapping hands or grabbing markers to autograph items. They said, “Maybe just fist-bump.” So, there was a little bit of worry during that time period as far as, “Okay, maybe a fan could actually have it and then you could contract it if you tried to take a picture with them or put your arm around them or if they handed you an item to sign.” They could’ve handed you a marker with a card or a piece of paper or a shirt, and a lot of guys high-five fans before and after the game, so there was a little bit of concern going on.
Then, with your teammates, you’re with them every single day, hours upon hours. They’re around their families and you don’t know where they go; they hang out with different people, so there was always that chance of them getting it and handing it over to you. I think the big thing was once it came out that there are people who are asymptomatic and can get the virus and not experience any symptoms whatsoever and feel completely healthy but they technically still have it in them and the ability to spread it, I think the worries just went through the roof after that.
Because the season may resume at some point soon, players are being told to stay in shape from home. Unless you have an in-home court or gym, you’re sort of limited in what you can do (and most players don’t have either of those). What have you been doing to work out at home?
PP: It’s been a challenge. During the offseason, guys have the ability to go to different gyms to work out with their trainers and play pick-up basketball with other athletes. And, on top of that, you have your strength-and-conditioning coach that you’re with all the time in the facility. You have your circle around you that you trust and know that you can work out with whenever you want. Now, for me, I live in an apartment, so it’s difficult to set up situations where I can get all of that. Thankfully, the team sent out a few items that can help me with my workouts and I moved all of my cars out of the garage and I’ll do an hour workout in the garage with all of the items that I have. I mix in runs in certain areas in L.A. that have hills. I’ll mix in yoga sessions in the garage; I go on YouTube and type in yoga and then do a yoga session. That’s really all I can do right now. Some people I know have a gym and an actual basketball court in their home, but I don’t have that. I actually thought about hitting up Lou [Williams], Kawhi [Leonard] or Paul [George] and being like, “Hey, can I borrow your court for a little bit?” or, “Can I borrow your gym just to get a workout in?” For a lot of those guys in the upper echelon who have the large homes with a court and a large gym in them, it’s easier for them to stay in shape just because they have all the equipment. But, for me, it’s just trying to get things that can help me stay in shape and stay ready for whenever we do get that call to come back.
Since most players don’t have access to a court or gym, players could be at a higher risk for injuries if this stoppage goes on for a while and then the NBA tries to resume the season quickly. An NBA strength-and-conditioning coach recently told me that he’s concerned about players getting injured when they return. Do you agree that’s a concern?
PP: Yeah, that’s definitely on my mind. I could’ve sworn I heard something on ESPN or the radio – I can’t remember – but someone said that these playoffs are going to be the best playoffs that have ever happened in the NBA, like, “You give these guys two or three months to rest their bodies and heal up and then unleash them back on the court, it’s gonna be amazing!” I’m like, “No.” Right now, with the virus and everything going on, certain guys have courts and have better opportunities to stay fit, stay in shape and fix their bodies. But for everyone else, you can’t really go work out, you can’t go to the gym, you can’t go to certain facilities to do what you do. And some guys may fall into that mindset or routine, like, “Okay, tomorrow I’m gonna workout.” Then, it’s, “The next day, I’m gonna workout.” Or, “I’m just gonna do a little bit now and then I’ll do more tomorrow,” but then you don’t do anything tomorrow.
There’s a lot more free time, there’s a lot more ability to not work out, to not train, to not do what you do every single year to make sure your body is strong and healthy. And, during this time, there could be a number of guys who are just being lazy, who are just sleeping in and playing video games, who are not working out so they’re putting on pounds, losing muscle and strength and mobility and durability in their muscles and bones and joints. And then, next thing you know, the season starts back up again and they give us a couple weeks before we go to [finish the] regular season or we go straight to the playoffs, and guys’ bodies aren’t nearly the same as they were before the stoppage began. So, there is concern. I do have concern for myself and other guys across the league who may not take this break seriously and try to rest a little too much or who don’t have the equipment and everything that they need to get stronger, stay ready and stay prepared.
For sure. You mentioned that the Clippers sent you some equipment to help you work out at home. I know some teams have sent treadmills or exercise bikes or weights to players. Some teams are sending different workouts to the players as well. What exactly did the Clippers send you?
PP: Yeah, so everything is different for different teams. Some teams have sent out treadmills, like you said. I’ve heard of teams sending ladders and I’ve heard of teams sending ellipticals. I’ve heard a number of things that certain guys across the league have gotten from their team and their own strength coach. For me, personally, I’ve received ladders, weights, resistance bands, medicine balls, BOSU balls, benches, boxes, jump-ropes… I have pretty much everything that I need – of course, minus a treadmill. But I basically have everything that I need.
As far as what we do as a team, I want to say three-to-four times a week, our strength coach puts us all in a Zoom session and every morning around, like, 10 a.m. there will be some type of hour-long workout. We all just sign in on the Zoom session and our trainer is right there, leading a workout for an hour. That’s what we do. I’m not sure what everyone else does, but I feel like there’s some type of set-up across the league that allows guys to at least get in an hour-long workout with equipment that has been sent from the team and with either their strength coach or a yoga instructor – if they have a yoga instructor on the team. I know guys who are doing yoga sessions to keep their body mobile and their joints good and their muscles loose. The Clippers have done a great job, a solid job, getting us the equipment that we need to set up in our homes so we can stay in shape and stay ready to the best of our abilities.
Katharine Lotze/Getty Images
Hopefully, this virus will get contained soon and things can start returning to normal. The NBA is obviously hoping to resume the season and crown a 2020 champion. What are the Clippers telling you guys when it comes to the possibility of the season resuming?
PP: Everyone from the Players’ Union to the coaching staff to the people within the Clippers organization seem to be confident that the season will continue at some point this year. Whether that’s in the summer or whether that’s in August, at some point the season will begin and they will finish it. How the season will finish off and play out is a big question – whether you get a little bit of training camp and regular season and then playoffs, or a little bit of training camp and you go straight to the playoffs [remains to be seen]. The playoffs could be the best-of-three or the best-of-five or whatever it may be; it could be shorter. No one really knows. But the number one thing right now that I seem to be getting from everyone is that the season will commence at some point, just no one really knows when. Things seem to be changing, of course, with the virus and the virus’ ability to affect others and the population. People [are still] getting sick right now, so no one knows when it’s going to begin. But I think the important thing for us in the NBA, as far as our job goes, is that it will commence at some point.
What does a typical day look like for you right now?
PP: Man, I wake up usually around 10 a.m. and have some breakfast. I do a little hour or hour-and-a-half workout, whether that’s strength-and-conditioning or going on a run or yoga; I mix it up every other day. I have lunch, then I’m writing, reading, playing video games or watching TV shows or movies on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, HBO, whatever it may be. Then, I have dinner and then I do the same thing until I fall asleep with video games and TV. And then, literally, the same thing the next day. Every day is basically the exact same right now. I’m trying to stay home as much as possible, so the only time I really leave the house is to grab groceries (and I’m careful with that whole process) or to go for some type of run somewhere in my neighborhood.
What shows have you been watching? I know everyone is talking about “Tiger King,” so I watched that. I finally saw “Billions” too.
PP: Man, the amount of shows that I have watched during this time is incredible. Of course, “Ozark.” I think everyone was waiting on that to finally drop, so I watched that. “Tiger King.” I found a show called “Kingdom.” “Altered Carbon.” “The Stranger,” which I finished last night. “On My Block.” “The Sinner.” I even watched “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” That’s what the quarantine is doing to me right now (laughs). There’s so much stuff that I’ve watched. One of my friends told me to watch “Righteous Gemstones,” which is on HBO NOW. There was another one on HBO, “The Outsider,” which I watched. I’m literally flying through shows, it’s incredible.
I’ve been so impressed with the NBA players who are donating to nonprofits impacted by COVID-19, paying the arena employees who are out of work and so on. In some cases, the players have stepped up way more than the billionaire owners. How proud are you to see the NBA community making a difference?
PP: Oh, I’m very proud of my NBA brotherhood stepping up and helping out those who are less fortunate, [helping] the workers, having meals sent out to families that need food, being a part of food drives and donating to people who are in a position to get food to people. I think the guys in the NBA are doing a great job. A little bit goes a long way. It doesn’t matter how much you donate, but if you do, trust me, it goes a long way. I’m very proud of those guys. My wife got us to help and donate to animal shelters where, obviously, a lot of pets and animals are hanging out and don’t have the ability to have a roof over their heads and a meal every single day and, with the virus, there can’t be a lot of workers and people around them so we wanted to help out L.A. dog shelters and donate to them to help out the animals and hopefully get animals into homes. People are home right now and can’t do anything and you’re alone and bored. What better thing to cheer you up right now and occupy your time than a dog? So my wife and I helped out with that. Shout out to guys in the NBA, NFL NHL or WNBA [who stepped up] and anyone who isn’t an athlete who helped out the people in their neighborhood and their district. I just think it’s big that we all come together and help out each other in some type of way.
Also, the NBA donated $50 million and they made a huge impact when they decided to suspend the season. I think that caused many other sports leagues and businesses to shut down, which probably saved lives.
PP: I agree. The NBA stepping up and doing something like that most likely had a positive effect on the outcome of this situation. If they didn’t do anything and waited another couple of days or even a week, who knows where we would be right now?
As viewers, we’re all missing basketball because we want a distraction now more than ever. But, as a player, you’ve played basketball just about every day since you were very young. How much are you missing basketball and five-on-five right about now?
PP: Oh, I’m missing it so much, like crazy. I’m talking to a couple of guys who retired and obviously it’s not the same level – it’s a different feeling – but I’ve just been talking to guys who retired and are no longer playing the game that they love and just trying to get feedback and advice. Once they retired and they knew they weren’t playing anymore, what was their mindset? What did they do? What were their next moves? How did they wake up every single day to do something [else]? I’m just trying to apply what [they’ve told me] in the conversations that I’ve had with them because although basketball will resume at some point, people always talk about life after basketball. I think right now is a big opportunity for guys across the league to, of course, stay in shape and stay focused, but also to look at different aspects of life like, “Okay, if this was the end of my basketball career, what would I do?” Would you still be working out as much? Do you think you’d have a plan in order to generate income or keep yourself busy and take care of your family? For me, it sucks and I want to play. I love basketball and I’ve played my whole life. But, right now, I’m thinking about life after basketball too. What can I do to make myself more comfortable with that day when it finally comes? So, that’s just the whole mindset that I’m trying to put myself in right now, just trying to stay away from, “Man, I can’t play the game I love…” [Instead], I’m getting in the mindset of, “Alright, what can I do now to solidify myself later on down the road – whenever that day comes?”
That’s really smart. I feel like the players who struggle in retirement are the ones who never thought about life after basketball and then they’re suddenly thrown into it. Planning ahead is so important and a number of retired players have given that advice on this podcast, so I love that you’re doing that. What do you want to do after basketball? Hopefully that’s not for a while, but do you know what you’d want to do next?
PP: Yeah, hopefully that’s not for at least another five years. But yeah, for me, I love movies – I’m huge on movies – so me and a good friend of mine that I’ve known for quite some time plan on starting our own production company and creating and producing our own films and TV shows. Our ultimate dream and ultimate goal is to get [a film] into South by Southwest, TIFF or the Sundance Film Festival and maybe a huge company picks it up or maybe it goes to a theater or at least gets to Hulu or Netflix or some type of streaming network. That’s the ultimate goal. That’s the ultimate dream. The past couple of years, I’m just trying to piece by piece put that together. And now, like I said, during this whole situation, I feel like this is as great an opportunity as any to actually put the hard hat on and focus a lot more on that.
Speaking of movies, you do a thing called Lockdown Movie Night where you watch a movie on Netflix with your Instagram followers and do a Q&A while everyone watches the film. How did that come together?
PP: I used to do this thing during the year called Pat Presents and get a movie before it was released in theaters and pick 100-to-200 fans and all of us would just get together in a movie theater and sit down, have some snacks and watch the movie. Then, I’d take pictures, sign autographs and talk to them afterward. I used to do that, like, once a month. Since this situation has happened and I can no longer do that, now we’ll watch a movie via Netflix – all 50 of us at the same time. We all jump in a chat room, talk back and forth about the movie, what everyone’s been up to, our families and they can ask me questions about the season and just whatever comes to mind. Then, once the movie is over, we hold a quick Q&A – about three-to-five questions – and whoever gets the questions, right, I’ll send them a little care package with some Clippers stuff, some autographed stuff and some memorabilia. I’ll send it their way. It’s something that I started doing last week. I’ve had two and the third one will be tonight (4/10). I hold it on my Instagram (@pdpatt) and anyone who wants to be a part of it can just comment under the post and I just randomly pick the fans and send them a quick DM with the link and then we all just hang out and watch a movie on Netflix.
That’s awesome. What’s your favorite movie of all-time?
PP: For me, it’s tough, so I usually do it by genre. My favorite drama of all-time is “Gladiator.” My favorite horror movie of all-time is the original “Nightmare on Elm Street.” My favorite comedy is a toss-up between “Superbad” and “Step Brothers.” My favorite thriller would be “Se7en” with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. Action is the toughest one because there’s like crazy good action movies every single year, from Marvel to even one of the Fast and Furious movies (I think it was 5 or 6, I can’t remember which one it was). There are just so many great action movies that come out every year, it’s hard for me to pick one. For sci-fi, either the original “Alien” movie or the original “Blade Runner” or “The Matrix,” which is solid as well. I have to do it by genre since I’m a huge movie fan, a huge movie buff, so it’s hard for me to only pick one.
Let’s talk about the season a bit. Your Clippers were 44-20 and one of the top teams in the NBA before the season was suspended. Is it even more frustrating that this happened during a season when you are potentially so close to competing for a championship?
PP: Oh, yeah. I haven’t been in this type of situation as far as my chances to win a championship since one of my years in Toronto, so it’s tough, especially like right now since we just acquired Marcus Morris and were working him into the system. Everyone was getting more comfortable with each other on the court – Joakim Noah, Reggie Jackson. We were just getting all these new additions to the team and starting to gel and figuring each other out and figuring out what we need to be and what we need to do and starting to gain some momentum and then next thing you know, at the snap of a finger, and we’re where we are now. Then, it’s like, “Okay, back to the drawing board again once this whole ordeal ends.” But being in one of the best situations I’ve had in my life as far as chances to make it to the Finals and having great guys on my team that I genuinely enjoy being around every single day – from Lou [Williams] to Pat [Beverley] to ‘Trez [Harrell] to JaMychal [Green] to Paul [George] to Kawhi [Leonard] and the list goes on and on, all of those guys are such fun, great guys to be around – having to take a step back from all that right now sucks. It definitely sucks, which is why I’m eagerly waiting for it to all start back up again.
The Clippers entered this season with a lot of new players – and two new focal points in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George – and then continued adding more players throughout the year. Was it tough to get everyone on the same page and develop chemistry?
PP: Yeah, we went a long time without having a full roster, a healthy roster, where every single individual suited up for the game. We’ve had guys in and out; we’ve had games without Kawhi, we had a whole bunch of games without Paul to start the season, Pat went down, Lou had something, ‘Trez had something, Sham (Landry Shamet) had something… It just felt like there wasn’t really one game where we were fully healthy or we at least had everyone suited up and available to play. We had guys in and out lineups, which I think is a good thing, ultimately, in the long run just because we’ve had opportunities and chances to play with different lineups and different people out there on the court, so different guys have been in game-time situations [together]. As the season progressed and guys started getting healthy and getting back out there on the court and we were acquiring guys here and there steadily throughout the season – just great additions to the team – everyone was just having a good time with each other, having fun out there on the court and just joking in the locker room. It was a good process. It was a roller coaster, up and down, losing some games that we should’ve won, having situations with guys getting hurt that you don’t want to get hurt and you wanted them out there as fast as possible, but I think, ultimately, at the end, we all came together and we were all on the same page and focused and ready to make a solid push toward the championship.
How much communication have you had with your teammates at this time?
PP: We talk every day. There’s always at least someone talking in the group chat, so we’re all connected via our iMessage and there seems to be communication with at least two people every single day. Someone will send a meme. Someone will send some type of update with the COVID-19 crisis going on in the world. Of course, right now, there’s that Players Only NBA 2K challenge going on. ‘Trez is playing and Pat played the other day, so [we’re discussing that]. There’s constant communication going on with us. Even though we can’t be around each other, guys are still talking and checking up on each other’s families and making sure everyone’s working out and staying ready.
What’s it like playing with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, and does that duo make life easier for everyone around them?
PP: Yeah, it makes everything easy. I’m very blessed to have Paul, and Kawhi as teammates. They’re great guys, great family men. They care about the team. They care about winning and they always care about doing the right thing. For me, it makes my job easier and definitely more fun, being out there on the court playing alongside them. And then, of course, you throw in Lou Williams, who’s arguably one of the best sixth men to ever play the game – I have him and Jamal Crawford [as the best] – and then ‘Trez and his ability to score at will and just be dominant out there on the court and all those guys, it makes stepping out there on the court and my job a lot easier and more fun.
The Clippers and Lakers were widely regarded as the two best teams in the Western Conference and both were being picked as possible champions. What’s it been like to experience that Clippers-Lakers rivalry firsthand?
PP: It’s nothing but pure entertainment seeing the fans and the people all throughout the city of L.A. Right now, everyone knows L.A. is a Lakers town, it’s Laker city. We’re hoping we can change that, obviously, with the championship this year. But this is pure entertainment, man. The fans make it enjoyable with the bickering back and forth and the banter and just the energy. Whenever you step on the court against the Lakers, whether they’re the home team or we’re the home team, you just know that it’s going to be a tough, hard-fought game with a lot of passion behind each and every play. So, it’s just entertainment. It’s just pure joy and pure entertainment.
The three weeks between the trade deadline and March 1 are a busy time for veterans on expiring contracts trying to find new squads. Players on NBA teams must be waived by the end of March 1 in order to remain eligible for the playoffs. A total of …
The three weeks between the trade deadline and March 1 are a busy time for veterans on expiring contracts trying to find new squads. Players on NBA teams must be waived by the end of March 1 in order to remain eligible for the playoffs. A total of 20 players on standard NBA contracts were waived within those three weeks. Of those 20, several of them agreed to reduce their guaranteed salary so they could move to new destinations.
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
MARVIN WILLIAMS
Remaining salary before buyout: $15,006,250
Marvin Williams was waived by the Charlotte Hornets after agreeing to give back $956,349. This is equivalent to his prorated end-of-season salary with the Milwaukee Bucks ($604,278 cap hit for Milwaukee). Players giving up the equivalent amount of salary that they are set to earn with their new team is usually the norm in buyouts. Financially he breaks even at the expense of losing his Bird rights, which didn’t hold much value since he did not get moved ahead of the trade deadline and the Hornets did not plan on re-signing him.
In Milwaukee, Williams is already getting consistent playing time with about 17 minutes per game. Mid-season signings rarely make significant impacts for their new teams but so far Williams is showing a lot of promise to be an exception. Soon to be 34-years-old, proving he can contribute on a contending team will improve his stock in free agency. He was going to be on an NBA franchise next season even if he finished this season in Charlotte, but this opportunity in Milwaukee could add more time to his next deal.
MICHAEL KIDD-GILCHRIST
Remaining salary before buyout: $13,000,000
Like Williams, his former teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist also gave up what was supposed to be his prorated minimum for signing with Dallas on the same day he cleared waivers. He surrendered $810,763, but he signed with the Mavericks for a $798,479 prorated minimum salary ($595,122 cap hit for Dallas). Overall the Hornets saved $1.77 million by buying out both veterans, but they were never close to the luxury tax this season.
The Hornets extended Kidd-Gilchrist in 2015 to a four-year $52 million deal but it never quite worked out between both parties. His minutes declined each season and this season he only appeared in 12 of 51 games for the Hornets. The lack of playing time made leaving Charlotte early a no-brainer, and even if things don’t work out in Dallas, another team will take a shot on Kidd-Gilchrist next season. Being 6-foot-6 inches and a below-average shooter makes him unplayable in certain situations, even if he were to transition into a being full-time small-ball center. His time in Dallas will be about discovering what his role is in the modern NBA.
REGGIE JACKSON
Remaining salary before buyout: $18,086,956
Reggie Jackson was waived by the Detroit Pistons after agreeing to give back $800,000. His prorated minimum salary with the Los Angeles Clippers is $734,025 ($512,721 cap hit for the Clippers). Jackson leaves the Pistons after having spent five years with them and his pick-and-roll partner, Andre Drummond. They reached the playoffs twice in Jackson’s five years there, yet they were never more than a fringe postseason team. He had always been productive but has yet to prove if he can be a starting point guard on a good team.
Jackson’s decision to leave the Pistons early holds some risk. He battled several injuries throughout his time in Detroit causing him to miss many games, including 42 straight this season. He needs playing time to build up his free agency stock and he was getting a lot of minutes in Detroit. So far with the Clippers, he has averaged 20 minutes per game, which is great if he keeps them but there is no guarantee he is in their rotation during the playoffs. If Jackson proves he can be a contributor for a contender, like he was in Oklahoma City, that would be more impressive to potential suitors than filling up the stat sheet on a lottery team. If his tenure with the Clippers is successful, they are limited in re-signing him to either a minimum contract or via what will likely be the taxpayer mid-level exception (T-MLE). The T-MLE is currently projected at $6 million, which could be on the lower end of offers he will receive this summer.
MARKIEFF MORRIS
Remaining salary before buyout: $3,200,000 (2019-20), $3,600,000 (2020-21, player option)
Markieff Morris sacrificed the most guaranteed salary in a buyout than any other player this season. Morris gave back a total of $4,540,113 to the Pistons. $940,113 came out of his 2019-20 salary and the remaining $3.6 million came from declining his 2020-21 player option. His prorated minimum salary right after clearing waivers would’ve been $694,702, but he signed with the Lakers for $1.75 million for the rest of the season. While it appears he lost $2.8 million in the process, the combination of the $1.75 million for 2019-20 and signing for at least the veteran minimum in 2020-21 (currently projected at $2.45 million for Morris) will recoup enough money to almost break even. Like Jackson, having a shot to prove he can contribute for a contender is more valuable to Morris’ free agency stock than finishing the season with Detroit.
For Detroit, they generated a significant amount of savings between this season and the next. The buyouts of both Jackson and Morris reduced the Pistons payroll by $1.74 million. This, combined with the Drummond trade leaves the Pistons $3.3 million below the luxury tax. Throughout the season the Pistons were just $4,000 below the luxury tax, so now they have the flexibility to take chances on young free agents. Getting off of Drummond and Morris’ player options for next season puts them at a projected $36 million in cap space next summer.
DeMARRE CARROLL
Remaining salary before buyout: $7,000,000 (2019-20), $6,650,000 (2020-21), $7,000,000 ($1.35 million guaranteed, 2021-22)
$811,447 is what Carroll gave back. Amount equals a player with 10 years of service who signs a prorated minimum contract on Feb. 20. https://t.co/vpqugPsJ7i
The waiving of DeMarre Carroll will leave dead money in his name between this season and the 2021-22 season. He only gave back $811,447 of the $15 million guaranteed to him, the total of which will be divided over the next three seasons. Carroll walks away from San Antonio giving up just north of 5 percent of his guaranteed salary and will have a shot with the Rockets to prove he’s worth a long-term deal. As of now, his future as an NBA player isn’t looking particularly great, but fortunately for him, he secured that contract with the Spurs.
The Spurs opted against using the stretch provision on Carroll which would’ve given them a $1.6 million dead cap hit between the 2020-21 and 2024-25 seasons. The amount of dead money the Spurs have is a little alarming, but none of it should significantly affect them over the long-term. Pau Gasol was bought out last season and they still owe him $5.1 million this year because of it.
ALLEN CRABBE
Remaining salary before buyout: $18,500,000
Allen Crabbe was waived by the Minnesota Timberwolves and reportedly has given back $681,444, according to Dane Moore. Signing him on March 2 will add a $412,008 cap hit to whichever team signs him as long as it’s just for the rest of the season. Since signing his four-year, $74.8 million deal, he has slowly gotten lost with each new team that traded for him. Now he gets to pick his team of choice and should probably join whichever team will give him the most playing time.
The savings for Minnesota are significant as they are currently over the luxury tax after the D’Angelo Russell trade. $681,444 in savings would bring them from $1.13 million over the luxury tax to just $454,825 above it. There are still ways for the Wolves to get below the tax while fulfilling minimum roster requirements.
Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
ANTHONY TOLLIVER
Remaining salary before buyout: $2,564,753 ($1,620,564 cap hit)
Anthony Tolliver was waived by the Kings and its unclear how much salary he gave back, if any at all. Any savings for the Kings would be insignificant as they’re $16 million below the luxury tax. He was traded to the Kings in January as salary-filler and is not part of the Kings’ long-term plans. Allowing him to become a free agent was mainly a favor on their part.
JORDAN McRAE
Remaining salary before buyout: $1,645,357
Jordan McRae was waived by the Nuggets and it’s possible he agreed to give back some money. His minimum salary if he signs a contract after clearing waivers is $417,342, so its possible he gave up that much. The bench scorer was recently acquired by the Nuggets after having a breakout season in Washington. He wasn’t getting consistent playing time with the Nuggets so his tenure there ends after appearing in just 4 games for them. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo, the Phoenix Suns intend to put a waiver claim on him. Whichever team claims him will hold his early Bird rights, which is beneficial to cap space teams. With a minimum $1.7 million cap hold, he doesn’t interfere with cap space and teams can go over the cap to re-sign him after spending their cap space.
Other players that got waived between February 7 and March 1 but did not reduce their guaranteed salary include Chandler Parsons, Nenê, Derrick Walton Jr., Gerald Green, Tim Frazier, Isaiah Thomas, DeMarcus Cousins, Troy Daniels, Dion Waiters, Dragan Bender, Amile Jefferson, Jonah Bolden, Trey Burke and Tyler Johnson. Bender is currently on a 10-day contract with the Warriors while Waiters is set to have a meeting with the Lakers.
Kendrick Perkins says Reggie Jackson picked the wrong LA team.
The Lakers and Clippers are the two favorites to emerge from the Western Conference and play in the 2020 NBA Finals, and late-season transactions could prove to be crucial as we approach the playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers stood pat at the trade deadline and did not make a move to alter a roster that is currently the best in the Western Conference, and then failed to convince retired guard Darren Collison to come back to the NBA. The Clippers, meanwhile, recently acquired the exact type of experienced scoring guard that the Lakers need, agreeing to a deal with Reggie Jackson after Jackson received a buyout from the Detroit Pistons.
Jackson has only played 14 games this season due to a back injury, but when healthy, Jackson is a player who can deliver 15 points and 5 assists per game, though he does not have much experience coming off the bench. According to ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, Jackson picked the wrong Los Angeles team, and would have been given a much bigger role had he pursued a deal with the Lakers.
“I’m not a fan of Reggie choosing the Clippers for the simple fact that they’re deep. Reggie is 29 years old. I mean, going into the situation, yeah they could tell you ‘hey you’re going to come in and play X amount of minutes,’ and when you get there something may change. My thing is with Reggie is, maybe if he goes to the Lakers, you knew for sure he’s going to play 20-25 minutes. The Clippers have a lot of firepower, and I don’t know if its a great fit for Reggie.
…. They already have Lou Will, they have Pat Bev, they have all these scorers and all this talent. I just don’t see where Reggie is fitting in there.”
Reggie Jackson joined the L.A. Clippers after being bought out by the Detroit Pistons. What can the veteran guard bring to the contender?
After the Detroit Pistons agreed to a contract buyout with Reggie Jackson, the veteran guard has joined the L.A. Clippers. What can the 29-year-old bring to his new team?
As we noted earlier this month, there have only been a few midseason free agency additions that have been particularly impactful since the trend has become more popular over the past 10 years. However, the change of scenery could certainly reignite Jackson, who is suddenly playing for a title contender.
Looking back, Jackson had a crucial role for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2013. It was just his second year in the league, but he played 33.5 minutes per game off the bench during their playoff run. This came after he averaged just 14.2 minutes over the span of 70 games in the regular season that year.
He carried that momentum into the following season for the Thunder, who outscored opponents by 7.4 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court in 2013-14. Most notably, the reserve scored 32 points (more than the combined output of teammates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook) and grabbed 9 rebounds during a game vs. the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round of the postseason.
Coming off a season in which his team made an appearance in the Western Conference Finals, the guard was traded to the Detroit Pistons in February 2015. He immediately became a consistent force in the first unit, recording 20 assists (!) in a single game shortly after the deal.
His usage rate after the trade was actually the highest among all point guards in the NBA, via Cleaning the Glass. He received 73.1 passes per game, fifth-most in the East, when he first joined the team.
Reggie Jackson now has a higher usage rate (31.9) than Carmelo, Durant, and Kobe. Not ideal from a PG with low TS% and poor A/TO ratio (1.4)
Detroit was running their offense through Jackson, who led his squad with 74.5 touches per game in 2015-16. That was more touches than superstars like Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Davis and Paul George received per game that season.
While that calmed a bit over the years, before this season, he was in the starting lineup for all but two games that he was active for with the Pistons. During four games in the postseason for Detroit last year, Jackson averaged 23.7 points and 9.3 assists per 36 minutes while shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range.
But his new role with the Clippers will be a return to form for the veteran, who came off the bench in 80 percent of his total appearances while with the Thunder. He can be yet another sparkplug scorer for a team that already has other prolific options off the bench.
With the addition of Reggie Jackson, the Clippers have SEVEN players who average 10+ points per game
Such a fit is likely better suited for Jackson if he shows that he is willing to accept it. Jackson exceeded expectations while with Oklahoma City in such capacity, but he eventually demanded a trade to seek a bigger role. He then failed to live up to lofty goals set for him while on Detroit, a tenure that was largely marred by injuries.
As noted by The Ringer’s Haley O’Shaughnessy, Jackson played all 82 games for just the first time in his career last season. The guard was actually one of just 22 players in the NBA to accomplish this feat during the 2018-19 campaign, but has been unable to follow up the achievement and has been sidelined for most of the season thus far.
Now on the Clippers, though, the guard can offer a size advantage over other backcourt reserves. Standing at 6-foot-3 with a 7-foot wingspan, Jackson offers a somewhat similar profile to former Clippers guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan).
Reggie Jackson is shooting just 38% from the field but he's also shooting 38% from three and taking 5.9 attempts per game. Shooting 39.5% on catch-and-shoot threes but only 32.0% on wide open threes. 44% inside 8 feet. I only expect him to be a passer and stand-still shooter.
Most importantly, Jackson was the most efficient spot-up shooter among all players who finished at least 10 opportunities with this play type during the 2019 postseason, according to Synergy. He was 6-for-13 (46.2 percent) on his catch-and-shoot three-pointers in the four games that the Pistons matched up with the Milwaukee Bucks. This year, meanwhile, Jackson is currently 17-for-43 (39.5 percent) on attempts from three off the catch.
He has boasted an impressive handle as a floor general, which will help give him more opportunities to stay on the court. His assist-to-turnover ratio (3.1) currently ranks Top 20 among all qualified players so far this season.
On the other end, however, his steal percentage has always been among the lowest in the league among those at his position.
He is not someone who has shown up high on leaderboards for hustle stats like deflections or loose balls recovered. During the 2016-17 season, his net rating (-8.0) ranked as the worst of any player on the Pistons and he finished No. 43 out of 47 eligible point guards on ESPN’s Real Plus-Minus rankings.
The move to add Jackson after a contract buyout was low-risk with high-reward potential for the Clippers, who were already blessed with unique depth in their rotation. If he buys into what the team is preaching and his shooting stroke connects in the playoffs, this is a huge win for the team. It should not, however, change the projections with much significance.
CLIPS MAKE BIG ADDITION: The Clippers continue to tinker with their rotation, as yesterday, they reportedly agreed to terms with point guard Reggie Jackson, who has spent the last five-and-a-half seasons with the Pistons prior to getting bought out on Monday. Between his time in Detroit and Oklahoma City, Jackson has nearly 40 games of playoff experience to lean on as a member of the Clippers and provides Los Angeles with insurance in case Patrick Beverley and Paul George continue to be hampered by injuries over the homestretch of the season.
Another benefit of the Clippers picking up Jackson is that, according to Woj, the Lakers were also quite interested in signing him – which makes sense considering how largely ineffective Rajon Rondo has been at backup point guard this season – so not only are they making a solid addition to their bench, they’re keeping that same player away from arguably their biggest competition in the West this year.
On the season, Jackson is averaging 14.9 points and 5.1 assists per contest while shooting 37.8 percent from three-point range. He won’t be asked to be a major part of the offense as a Clipper, but as long as he can take over secondary ball-handler duties for certain stints, defend and hit open jumpers, he could give L.A. a nice boost to their backup unit.
CHAMPION OPENS UP:Chris Bosh opened up about missing out on the Hall of Fame, stating that he’s disappointed he won’t be able to enter with this amazing class of players, featuring Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, that he admired when he himself was a player.
