NBA Trade Rumors: Reggie Jackson could be traded to the Orlando Magic
By John Buhler
Detroit Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson is on the trade block. One team that he could be moved to is Stan Van Gundy’s former team in the Orlando Magic.
Nearly two years ago to the day, Detroit Pistons head coach and president of basketball operations orchestrated a three-team deal to get himself a starting point guard: Reggie Jackson, then of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At the 2017 NBA All-Star break, it seems that Jackson is on the trade block once again. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, “the Pistons and the [Orlando] Magic have discussed a trade that would send Reggie Jackson to Orlando for D.J. Augustin and Jeff Green.”
The Pistons and Magic have discussed a trade that would send Reggie Jackson to Orlando for D.J. Augustin and Jeff Green, league sources say.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 17, 2017
Stein would later point out that these may only be discussions and nothing more. His ESPN colleague Zach Lowe did convey that the Pistons were seeing what value Jackson had on the trade market.
Jackson has started and played in 36 games for the 2016-17 Pistons, averaging 15.2 points and 5.6 assists per game. He is in the second year of a five-year contract he signed with the Pistons in summer 2015. Jackson will not hit unrestricted free agency until summer 2020.
Seeing what Van Gundy can land for Jackson with three years and change left on his contract is understandable. However, asking for a career backup point guard in Augustin and a wing that can’t stick on a team for more than a calendar year in Green is not worth it for the Pistons.
Orlando has to get better at point guard, as starter Elfrid Payton may never develop a consistent NBA jump shot. If the Magic were going to trade for a point guard the caliber of Jackson, one would think that a future first-round pick would be going the Pistons way.
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Augustin is a serviceable spot-starter at the point. Green seems to lure in one general manager to trade for his inconsistent game at small forward annually. However, not getting at least a first-round pick for 3.5 years of Jackson is bad business. Van Gundy may want a better defender at point guard to form his wall, but shouldn’t trade Jackson for Augustin and Green.