The OKC Thunder waived fourth-year forward Justin Jackson on Monday as part of their plan to build for the future and work towards securing a top draft pick.
Brandon Dale and I will be starting a new weekly series looking at the pros and cons of certain topics. In this week’s edition, we take opposing sides on OKC letting go of Jackson. This week, I’ll be looking at the cons of the decision.
Why OKC Thunder was wrong No. 1) Chemistry built with his teammates
I believe that in a ‘non-tanking’ world, Jackson could’ve had a significant impact on the Thunder. In the past, we’ve seen OKC play the long game with players similar to the forward and, as they plan to build through the draft, he could have provided experience.
This reason also points more to the fact that I would’ve loved to see the Thunder end the season by winning as many games as they can. It seems that the squad has almost completely changed since their first game of the season.
The connection he built with his teammates was strong which could contribute to success on the court when Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Darius Bazley, and Lu Dort return.
Why OKC Thunder was wrong No. 2) Continuation of the Breakfast Club
Jackson was part of the OKC Thunder’s Breakfast Club, a group who started out deep within the second unit and weren’t getting a lot of opportunities to play but willed their way to court time.
At 26-years-old and on his third team in four years, it was admirable to see Jackson continue to work and do what was best for the team even if he wasn’t getting game time.
Now that he’s gone, that leaves Kenrich Williams, Isaiah Roby, Moses Brown, and Josh Hall as the players left from the Breakfast Club. I’m sure many fans would’ve loved to have seen the original group remain together.
Why OKC Thunder was wrong No. 3) Increasing value and luxury of time
Even if the OKC Thunder wanted to let go of Jackson when the year ended, maybe they could’ve kept him until the season was over so that he could play more and increase his value.
At the moment, he isn’t playing for anyone which means he isn’t able to be seen by teams who could possibly recruit him for next year. The forward has good playmaking ability and shooting potential that he could continue to demonstrate while still signed with a team.
This would make sense since OKC is experimenting with their young players and have been without SGA, Bazley, and Dort. Also, with the fact that now it’s getting to the backend of the season, teams are preparing for playoffs and may not be looking at bringing in new players.
It would give him the chance to possibly be called to a contending team in free agency that would benefit from his willingness to do the little things and play his role.
Despite making these points, I do believe that Jackson deserves to be on a team that has intentions of winning now.
In his short time in the Sooner State, he gave us some awesome moments to remember specifically his amazing crunch-time dagger that sealed the deal against the Milwaukee Bucks in February.
#ThunderNation wishes him all the best.
Be sure to check out Brandon’s piece on reasons why letting Jackson go was the right decision, and let us know what you think.