Nov 12, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nick Collison (4) and guard Reggie Jackson (15) celebrate against the Boston Celtics during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports
As a lover of fantasy trades, I’ve come up with a couple different scenarios that benefit Jackson and the Thunder. For the first time since I can remember, Oklahoma City appears to be in “win now” mode. The addition of Waiters proved that and the subtraction of Jackson would take it a step further.
What Reggie Wants
Jackson wants to be a starter and the team acquiring him knows that. No team is going to trade for Jackson and have him come off the bench. They’re going to invest in the 24-year-old point guard and let him run the show for the foreseeable future. This eliminates a lot of teams who already have high quality point guards.
What Oklahoma City Needs
In offloading Jackson, the Thunder must get back a true back-up point guard who knows his role on the team and an interior player. Ish Smith isn’t going to cut it as the back-up point guard on a championship caliber team and the combination of Nick Collison and Kendrick Perkins don’t exactly fit with what the Thunder do.
Next: Scenario No. 1