The Detroit Pistons have reached a five-year agreement with restricted free agent Reggie Jackson, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Restricted free agent guard Reggie Jackson has agreed to a five-year, $80M extension with the Detroit Pistons, league sources tell Yahoo.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 6, 2015
Detroit acquired the point guard from the Oklahoma City Thunder at the 2015 trade deadline, and Jackson’s 27-game stint with the team offered both ends of the performance spectrum.
After winning the first game with Jackson on the floor, the Pistons dropped 10 straight outings and fell out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. He managed 14.0 points and 6.8 assists per contest, shooting 27.3 percent from beyond the arc and 36.8 from the field.
Jackson responded during the final 16 games, producing 19.9 points and 10.9 assists while helping Detroit finish the season on a 9-7 stretch. The Boston College product nailed 39.1 percent of his threes and 48.0 percent overall.
Moving forward, Jackson must be prepared to coexist with backcourt-mate Brandon Jennings, who had put together arguably the best season of his career before sustaining a season-ending Achilles injury. Both players have a tremendous ability to create offense as an individual and as a passer, but Jackson has a history of selfishness.
While with the Thunder, Jackson wasn’t satisfied with temporarily occupying a starting role when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook had each sustained an injury. It seemed Jackson was itching to leave OKC and was merely attempting to show off for a max contract elsewhere.
According to Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman, Jackson said:
“When I said command a team, I didn’t mean be a temporary starter or anything like that. Just trying to play my role while I’m here.”
The final three words, “while I’m here,” spoke volumes about Jackson’s mindset, which translated to the court. From Nov. 1 to Nov. 27 while the Thunder’s superstar duo was sidelined, Jackson racked up a 27.7 usage percentage yet only managed an ugly 97.1 offensive rating, per NBA.com.
Detroit has the potential to be a dangerous offensive team, but Jackson must use his passing skills to improve the team—not just his back pocket.
He has the $80 million contract. Now, Jackson needs to prove he’s worth it.
Photo: USA Today Sports