Ever since the Thunder traded for Dion Waiters, Reggie Jackson’s role has shrunk.
It has been expected Oklahoma City will trade Jackson.
Just in case, the guard wants the Thunder to know his stance.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:The agent for Oklahoma City guard Reggie Jackson has asked general manager Sam Presti to trade his client before Thursday’s NBA deadline, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
CAA’s Aaron Mintz made the request in the past seven to 10 days, and several teams around the league became aware as officials probed for information on potentially dealing for Jackson, league sources said.
Unfortunately for Jackson, Oklahoma City the power here.
Jackson will be a restricted free agent this summer, so the Thunder don’t have to deal him now if they don’t find a suitable offer. However, they should look to move him. Jackson has regressed since playing a big role early in the season with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook injured, and his fit is no longer great.
Here’s the problem, though: Trading Jackson without taking any salary in return – not necessarily an easy task – wouldn’t necessarily push the Thunder below the luxury-tax line. It could come down to incentives in the contracts of Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins.
So, if a deal wouldn’t come with the guarantee of a tax-free season, Oklahoma City would certainly want more in return for Jackson. I suspect the Thunder would be happy to accommodate Jackson if they can find a trade beneficial to them, but we’ll see how far they’d go if it means selling low.