Reggie Jackson came to Detroit to be the outside to Andre Drummond’s inside. That never panned out, in part due to a rash of injuries to Jackson that kept a lot over a couple of those seasons.
Drummond has been traded to Cleveland, and with that it was time for the Pistons to move on from Jackson as well. That has happened, the Pistons and Jackson have agreed to a buyout.
OFFICIAL: The Pistons and Reggie Jackson have reached an agreement to buy out the veteran guard’s contract and the Pistons have requested waivers on Jackson.
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) February 18, 2020
We wish you all the best, @Reggie_Jackson! pic.twitter.com/jPxS1NdsCu
Once Jackson clears waivers, he is headed to the Clippers reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Guard Reggie Jackson has agreed to a contract buyout with the Detroit Pistons and plans to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers upon clearing waivers, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 18, 2020
Jackson has only played in 14 games this season due to injury but has averaged 14.9 points and 5.1 assists a game when he has played, plus is shooting 37.8 percent from three. Jackson is making $18 million this season, the final year of a five-year, $80 million contract he inked back in 2015. He is a free agent this summer.
Why the Clippers? They are contenders, and Jackson is friends with Paul George.
The Clippers get two things out of this. First, they get a third point guard who can spell Patrick Beverley 10-12 minutes a night down the stretch (and fill in if Beverley suffers an injury). Second, the Clippers keep a playmaking guard away from the Lakers.
Detroit saves a little money and takes another step to clear the roster for a rebuild. They have Derrick Rose and Brandon Knight at the point guard spot, don’t be surprised if they call up a few guys from the G-League to see if they can find a longer-term option.