Poll: Reggie Jackson’s Future In OKC
A week ago, our own Chuck Myron unveiled our 2015 Free Agent Power Rankings, a list that profiles the top 10 targets for next summer and also lists the next 10 best. Absent from that compilation is restricted free agent-to-be Reggie Jackson, who has been on a mission over the past week to keep the Thunder afloat while Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook heal up. The fourth year point guard — whose extension talks with Oklahoma City fell apart in October — is averaging 21.5 points, 7.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds in the team’s first 11 games. All of a sudden, the Boston College product seems destined for quite the payday come summertime.
With the Rockets in town yesterday, Jackson’s recent play led Houston’s James Harden to weigh in on the backup point guard’s situation. Harden is uniquely qualified to comment, as the Rockets’ superstar was once the tertiary option himself in Oklahoma City. After he played a major role in the Thunder’s 2011/12 Finals appearance, Harden was shipped to Houston once it became clear the two sides couldn’t agree to an extension. He immediately emerged as a superstar in Houston, averaging over 25 points since in 161 career games with the Rockets.
Sitting at 3-8 with their two megastars on the shelf, the Thunder are feeling the ramifications of that trade at this very moment. Some think small-market OKC didn’t want to pay the luxury tax, which would have been inevitable had they ponied up the necessary money for a Harden extension. Others say the Thunder, already armed with Durant, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, thought that the package of Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and two first round picks was enough to ensure long-term success.
More than two years and zero additional Finals appearances later, it’s safe to say the decision to move Harden was a bust. The question is, what does that mean for Jackson? He might not possess the All-NBA potential of Harden, but Jackson has showed so far this season that he can fill up a box score with the best of them. Have the Thunder learned their lesson? Jackson is sure to get lucrative offers next summer from teams hoping to pry him from OKC. What do you think the Thunder should do?
What Should Thunder Do With Reggie Jackson?
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Don't match anything over $12MM per year 41% (239)
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They should have traded him, he doesn't fit with Westbrook 31% (181)
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Match any offer less than the max (which is projected to start at $15.5MM) 15% (88)
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With the Durant uncertainty, they must match any offer 12% (69)
Total votes: 577
Western Notes: Brewer, Jackson, Gay
Tonight’s matchup between Memphis and Houston is a good one, but it’d be hard to fault fans looking forward to Wednesday night’s clash between the defending champion Spurs and the LeBron James-led Cavaliers. Sam Amick of USA Today writes that the Cleveland faithful should thank the Spurs for their part in sending James back to his hometown club, as few dispute that a Miami victory last June would have prevented the offseason’s biggest shakeup.
We’ll have to wait until Wednesday to see if the Spurs get their due from the Quicken Loans Arena crowd. Until then, let’s see what else is going on out West:
- While Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders tried to downplay the Corey Brewer rumors earlier today, it sure appears that interest in the veteran swingman is legitimate. However, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities isn’t getting the sense that a trade is imminent (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle questions whether the Rockets would use their traded player exception this early in the season (via Twitter). As our Outstanding Trade Exceptions guide shows, Houston obtained a trade exception of nearly $8.4MM when they sent Jeremy Lin to the Lakers.
- With superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on the shelf, Thunder guard Reggie Jackson has had the spotlight to himself in Oklahoma City recently, averaging 21.5 points in the team’s first 11 games. Jackson and the Thunder broke off extension talks in October and the fourth-year guard is set for restricted free agency this summer. One guy who knows what it’s like to be the third fiddle in OKC is James Harden, who told Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman that Jackson should take advantage of this opportunity. “I fell into the same situation, and that could have been my only contract. And I’m sure Reggie feels the same way. He has to get the money that he’s earned and that he’s worked his whole life for. It’s the nature of the business. It’s going to happen every single year and it’s going to continue to happen.”
- Rudy Gay and the Kings are perfect for each other, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. Ziller considers the extension agreed upon yesterday to be mutually beneficial, with Sacramento keeping a good player at a reasonable price while Gay pockets a nice chunk of change in the short term without totally sacrificing his ability to take advantage of the league’s new TV money. Assuming his success continues in Sacramento, Gay can decline his player option for 2017/18 and cash in one year after the cap explodes skyward in 2016.
And-Ones: Spurs, Nowitzki, Thunder, Mudiay
Stability has been the key to the success of the Spurs, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. The core of last year’s championship team remains the same with the only addition being rookie Kyle Anderson. Turner admits that while continuity is a huge part of their success, having Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker certainly has helped. Last week, they became the second trio in NBA history to win 500 games together, joining Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish of the Celtics, who won 540 games together.
Here’s more from around the Association:
- By assembling the right talent around Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs have ensured that the future Hall of Famer will sustain success, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Nowitzki is shooting 55% from the field this season, up from his career average of 47.7%. He attributes this success to his confidence in the team around him. “I don’t feel like I have to take any bad shots, you know,” Nowitzki said. “I’m happy to be on a good team again.” Dallas leads the league in scoring with 107.1 points per game.
- Injuries have gutted the Thunder’s roster but the team should benefit from its adverse experience, writes Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman. Slater argues that the rare stretch of games without its top stars has created a learning opportunity for the rest of the team’s roster. If the team is able to make the playoffs after its 3-7 start to the season, the experience afforded to the team’s depth may pay real dividends.
- Emmanuel Mudiay has made China a destination on the scouting trail for the first time in years, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Howard-Cooper points out that there hasn’t been such an important scouting trip to Asia since the 2007 draft in which Yi Jianlian went sixth overall to the Bucks. Mudiay is the second-best 2015 draft prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings, and he’s No. 3 with Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
Minor Moves: Jerrett, Celtics, Johnson
The D-League season is underway, and with it will come a fast pace of assignments and recalls from NBA teams. We’ll be keeping track of those moves throughout the season in the post linked here and noting each transaction within our regular coverage. There are a pair of D-League notes and a move from overseas this afternoon amid our look at the latest news involving NBA players and minor league teams.
- The Thunder recalled Grant Jerrett from the D-League today, the team announced via press release, just hours after sending him down to their affiliate for a practice. Coach Scott Brooks explained that the Thunder have been engaging merely in film study and walkthroughs of late, so the team wanted to allow him to engage in a full practice as he continues to recover from left ankle surgery, as Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman details (All four Twitter links).
- The Celtics have assigned James Young and Dwight Powell the the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Young has appeared in two contests for Boston this season, averaging 1.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in nine minutes per game. Powell has seen less than a minute’s worth of regular season action after logging 1.7 PPG and 1.2 RPG in six preseason appearances.
- Heat camp invitee Chris Johnson is signing with China’s Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Bulls, a source tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). Johnson is a three-year NBA veteran center who last saw regular season action with the Timberwolves in 2012/13. He’s not to be confused with swingman Chris Johnson, whom the Sixers waived this afternoon.
And-Ones: Holiday, D-League, Jerrett, Kuzmic
LeBron James wasn’t the only player to reach a career scoring milestone last night as Tim Duncan passed the 25,000 point mark for his career, becoming the 19th player ever to do so. Duncan is also only the second player ever to reach 25,000 points, 14,000 rebounds and 2,500 blocks, with the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar being the other. So congratulations go out to the “Big Fundamental” on this amazing achievement.
Here are more doings from around the league:
- Justin Holiday and Ognjen Kuzmic have been recalled from the D-League, the Warriors have announced. The pair helped lead Santa Cruz to a 122-95 season-opening victory over the Los Angeles D-Fenders last night. Holiday scored a team-high 26 points and also added six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal in 36 minutes. Kuzmic totaled six points, a team-high 14 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 29 minutes of action.
- The Thunder have assigned Grant Jerrett to the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA D-League, the team has announced. Jerrett appeared in 27 games last season for the Blue, averaging 15.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game. He hasn’t seen any NBA action thus far this season.
- The NBA D-League season began last night and the crew over at SB Nation previewed 10 of the league’s teams including the Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat), Grand Rapids Drive (Pistons), Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors), Canton Charge (Cavs), and Reno Bighorns (Kings).
Western Notes: Lakers, Suns, Thomas
The Lakers will keep their first-round pick only if it falls within the top five selections, but GM Mitch Kupchak says his team will never attempt to engineer a poorer record, as he tells Baxter Holmes of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “It’s a lottery,” Kupchak said. “It doesn’t mean anything. I mean, last year, we got the seventh pick in the draft, and to me, it felt like we lost every game. I don’t know how you lose more games to try to get a better pick. I just don’t know how you do it.”
Here’s more from out west:
- With three starting-caliber point guards on the Suns’ roster, head coach Jeff Hornacek is forced to juggle rotations on a nightly basis, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “It hasn’t been tricky to navigate the [who is] playing part of it, because the guys that are playing well, we just keep them in,” Hornacek said. “Sometimes guys want to have their guaranteed minutes, and sometimes you can do that, but that’s where the tricky part comes.” One thing making it easier on the team is Eric Bledsoe‘s contract situation being sorted out, notes Bontemps. Now that Bledsoe is signed long-term Hornacek doesn’t need to worry about giving him extra minutes as an incentive to stay in Phoenix, Bontemps adds.
- With the Lakers off to a 1-7 start it looks increasingly likely the franchise will get to keep its 2015 first-rounder. Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) analyzes the Lakers’ chances of not having to relinquish their much-needed draft pick to Phoenix.
- The Thunder have unearthed a gem in the form of Lance Thomas, who made Oklahoma City’s regular season roster despite incredibly long odds, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman writes. With all of the early season injuries the team has faced, Thomas’ versatility and work ethic have been invaluable, Mayberry adds.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Brooks, Warren, Livingston
Former Lakers guard MarShon Brooks‘ time with Olimpia Milano of Italy may be coming to an end, David Pick of Eurobasket reports (Twitter link). It is unclear if this means Brooks will be waived by the Italian team or if a buyout arrangement is being discussed. The 25-year-old shooting guard was pursued by the Pacers, Kings and an unnamed “title-contending team” from the east prior to Brooks inking his overseas deal this summer, and with the rash of early season injuries Brooks could have a number of NBA opportunities if he returns stateside.
Here’s more from out west:
- The Suns assigned T.J. Warren to the D-League earlier today but his stint shouldn’t be a long one, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “T.J. is going to be a great player,” head coach Jeff Hornacek asserted. “This team has a lot of guys at his spot right now, but he’s going to be around. He’s going to be a factor. He’s got great hands. He knows how to score, but the transition [defensively] has been pretty good, too.” The first-rounder out of North Carolina State has only seen one minute of NBA action thus far this season.
- Shaun Livingston will face off against the Nets tonight, his former team, and he discussed why he chose to sign with the Warriors this summer, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. “It was about putting myself in the best position to win, and also to get the value as a player. Your market value,” Livingston said. “That was my case. I was hoping to [finally get a big offer] and ideally that was the thought process going into free agency, but, man, I’ve been in a couple of situations where I thought I was going to get paid and I was going to come back and it just didn’t work out. I mean, my injury [in 2007], that year I was supposed to get an extension and I didn’t. I had a good a year with the Wizards [in 2009/10] and then they end up getting John Wall with the first pick.”
- With his excellent numbers filling in for the injured Russell Westbrook, the Thunder‘s Reggie Jackson is generating a market value that will test the team’s willingness to match any offer sheets he is likely to receive this summer, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports opines. It’s not clear exactly how much Jackson will command on his next contract but Wojnarowski suggests that the annual salary could be in the $13MM-$14MM range.
Atlantic Notes: J.R. Smith, Knicks, Rondo
The Pacers do have at least some level of interest in J.R. Smith, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, who reported earlier this month that Indiana discussed Smith in conversations with the Knicks about a potential deal involving Chris Copeland. The Knicks are confident about the market for the former Sixth Man of the Year and aren’t merely looking to swap him for an expiring contract, a source tells Berman. While we wait to see how the Knicks proceed, there’s more from New York amid the latest from the Atlantic Division:
- Derek Fisher isn’t sure about the timetable that Phil Jackson has suggested for making judgments about the players on the Knicks roster, as Berman relays in the same piece. “I don’t know if it’s a fair assessment or not,’’ Fisher said. “[Phil] obviously knows a lot about his offense, but I think it’s more than just a guy is going to get it. Each player and person has different learning curves. I don’t know if there’s a date. It’s more where our team is from a management standpoint. For me, I don’t have a date on when I would assume a guy should or shouldn’t have it. I’m going to coach him until he’s here or isn’t here. Those won’t be my decisions.’’
- Rajon Rondo told reporters that he didn’t disagree with Kendrick Perkins, who said earlier Wednesday that Rondo, set for free agency at season’s end, would like to remain with the Celtics, observes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. “It’s about accurate,” Rondo said. “I mean, from media day in the beginning, that’s what I said initially. So regardless of what’s going on in the season, my perspective hasn’t changed. I love being a Celtic.”
- Perkins, who’s also poised to become a free agent in the summer, is open to returning to the Celtics, saying it would be up to Boston’s brass to bring him back if they want him, Bulpett notes. The 30-year-old Thunder center sees Boston as increasingly attractive for free agents, as he told reporters, including Bulpett.
- The Sixers are a long way from respectability, but tonight’s season debut for Michael Carter-Williams, who’s back from shoulder surgery, will pair him with Nerlens Noel for the first time. Having two building blocks on the floor at once will represent a landmark moment in Philly’s rebuilding, opines John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News.
And-Ones: Ellington, Mekel, Cavs, Thunder
Wayne Ellington has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the Lakers, the team announced. Ellington’s father was tragically shot and killed this past Sunday. It is unclear if this will affect Ellington’s roster spot, as he has a partial guarantee of $315,646 set to kick in if he remains on the roster past this coming Saturday. The team is reportedly pursuing free agent Quincy Miller, and with their current roster count at the maximum of 15 players, the Lakers would need to waive or trade a player to create room for any signing. Los Angeles was recently granted a disabled player exception worth $1,498,680 in response to the season-ending injury suffered by rookie Julius Randle.
More from around the NBA..
- A number of teams are interested in signing the recently waived Gal Mekel, sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Given that the Mavs are on the hook to pay him $1.76MM over the next two years, Kennedy surmises that Mekel might wait for a prime opportunity rather than jumping at the first offer thrown his way.
- Dion Waiters thinks the early season woes that the Cavs have endured will make them a better team in the long haul, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. His new teammate, LeBron James, also cautioned that immediate success shouldn’t be expected when teams first come together, adding that the roster still needs to work on a number of areas.
- Mark Cuban suggested the Thunder might be wise to consider tanking in wake of injuries to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks says he wouldn’t consider such a strategy, as Sean Deveney of Sporting News transcribes. “I don’t really pay much attention to other people’s thoughts on our team,” said Brooks in response to Cuban’s comments. “I know what our organization is about… Tanking is not something that we will consider. I don’t think any teams focus on doing that — you’re a pro team, you get paid to play. You play as hard as you can and do the best you can as a group. So that’s never even been considered.”
- Michael Kaskey-Blomain of Philly.com thinks that the Sixers came away with the biggest steal of the 2014 draft in K.J. McDaniels. Taken with the 32nd selection, McDaniels has jumped out to a quick start this season, averaging 9.3 points and 1.7 blocks per night.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
And-Ones: Leonard, Millsap, Mekel, Sixers
Kawhi Leonard says he was “never upset” that the Spurs passed on a rookie-scale extension for him before last month’s deadline, as he tells USA Today’s Sam Amick.
“I don’t think I’m going anywhere,” Leonard said. “I mean they love me here. I like the organization, and if it was up to me, I want to finish out with one team like a lot of great players have done, to stay with one organization their whole career and just be loyal to that. You never know. We’ll see what happens next summer, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be in a Spurs jersey for my whole life.”
The Spurs reportedly passed on Leonard’s request for a max extension because they prefer maintain maximum cap flexibility for next summer, even though they’ve indicated that they’ll match any offer another team might make for the player Gregg Popovich calls a “coach’s dream.” Here’s more from around the NBA:
- Paul Millsap acknowledged Monday that he’ll look around when he hits free agency in the summer, but he made it clear that the Hawks are the front-runners to re-sign him, as Marc Berman of the New York Post chronicles. “Anywhere could be an option,” Millsap said. “But my loyalty right now is in Atlanta. Free agency is free agency. When it happens, I’ll weigh my options and see where I’m at. But I’m happy in Atlanta right now.’’
- A report late last month indicated that the Thunder had interest in Gal Mekel before they were beset by injuries, but with Ish Smith having joined the team as a 16th player and some of the wounded recovering, Mekel and OKC aren’t in active talks, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- Details are scarce about the contract that Drew Gordon signed Monday with the Sixers, but it is a multiyear arrangement, according to the RealGM transactions log.
- The Timberwolves lost a star when Kevin Love forced a trade this summer, and Flip Saunders recognizes the importance of creating an environment that will help prevent a repeat in the future with Andrew Wiggins, as Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick examines.