Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
L.A. Clippers have sights set on two veteran point guards
The trade deadline has come and gone, and the L.A. Clippers are still without a formidable backup point guard. Fortunately, that could be changing soon.
According to The New York Times' Marc Stein, Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson is mulling a buyout with his current team — and the Clippers are a potential landing destination.
Jackson, 29, has appeared in just 10 games for Detroit this year. The veteran guard suffered a back injury two games into the season and just returned January 22. He's played solid ball for the Pistons since then, averaging 16.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 27.1 minutes per game. Perhaps the most important stat to look at is his three-point percentage: Jackson has connected on 42.6 percent of his 5.9 attempts from deep per game since making his return.
That said, he does have his faults. Despite collecting his fair share of steals, Jackson isn't the best defender. He can also be inconsistent at times — he's a sub-40 shooter from the field that struggles to convert at close range. According to Basketball-Reference, he's made just 30.1 percent of his looks from 3 feet to the three-point line this season.
But as a backup point that would spend a majority of the time rolling with the second unit, Jackson makes sense for L.A. He's a good ball-handler that would help space the floor, and when Patrick Beverley misses games due to injury, the Clippers would be better off with him at point than Lou Williams or Landry Shamet.
His playoff experience makes him a favorable addition as well — Jackson has done well for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Pistons in past postseason trips.
There is a chance that Jackson plays out the remainder of his contract in Detroit, though. In that scenario, the Clippers would still have an option to fall back on in Darren Collison.
The strengths and weaknesses are virtually the same between Jackson and Collison, though Jackson has a slight edge when it comes to defense and size and Collison is a more consistent shooter.
Either would make a fine addition to L.A.'s second unit, though the Clippers may not be able to choose between the two. The Los Angeles Lakers are pursuing Collison as well, and the California native attended Thursday night's game between the Lakers and Houston Rockets with owner Jeanie Buss.
The Clippers will have two roster spots open once Isaiah Thomas is waived (which is expected, but not yet official), so L.A. has the flexibility to add to this already-deep roster whenever the opportunity presents itself.
