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NBA Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder Should Strongly Consider Trading Reggie Jackson

By @Greg_Sacidor

Mark D. Smith - USA TODAY Sports

Mark D. Smith – USA TODAY Sports

As a number of injuries have derailed the Oklahoma City Thunder’s season, Reggie Jackson has managed to become a bright spot in an otherwise bleak situation. But despite his emergence, now is the time for the Thunder to consider trading their most recent star.

While the Oklahoma City Thunder’s stars have spent games sitting on the end of the bench in street clothes, fourth-year guard Reggie Jackson has spent these games quietly making a name for himself. Despite the team starting the 2014-15 season off 3-9, Reggie Jackson has been catching the attention of many around the NBA. Through 12 games, Jackson has managed to lead the Thunder in both points per game (20.2) and assists per game (7.6), all while shooting 42 percent from the field. In his team-leading 40.6 minutes per game, Jackson has managed to step out of the shadows of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and make himself look like a third reliable scoring option this Thunder team has been searching for. But despite all of this, the Thunder need to take serious consideration into picking up the phone and making Jackson available to the other 29 teams around the league.

Although the Thunder have been searching for that third “go-to” guy since they traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets back in 2012, now is the time to pull the trigger on trading Reggie Jackson. Just as James Harden was emerging as a star after the Thunder’s run to the NBA Finals, so too is Jackson. But also just like James Harden back in 2012, Jackson’s contract is set to expire in the near future. At the end of the 2014-15 season, the Thunder can either extend Jackson long-term — something that may put them in a financial place that they don’t wish to be — or they can make him a restricted free agent by extending him a qualifying offer worth about $3.4 million. The only downfall to this would be that other teams could then pry Jackson away from the Thunder by making him a larger offer. A situation like this was seen this past offseason as the Rockets made Chandler Parsons a restricted free agent, but then lost him to the Dallas Mavericks, who offered him much more money than the Rockets.

The Thunder have been known to take a strong stance against going over the NBA’s luxury tax line; after all, that is one of the main reasons they dealt Harden. With their payroll approaching this line, it makes no sense to go against all that they have stood for in order to sign a guy like Reggie Jackson.

Jackson may be a talented player, but there just isn’t enough evidence to support that he is going to be a future superstar. If the Thunder weren’t willing to sign Harden to a long-term, wealthy deal, then they shouldn’t be willing to do it for Jackson either. There will never be a time when Jackson’s stock will ever be more valuable, so why not sell high? If the Thunder wait and wait to make up their mind on what to do with Jackson, then the return will be lower.

Like the Rockets in 2012, there are plenty of teams in the NBA looking to acquire some kind of superstar via free agency, but they can’t do that until they have at least one attractive piece. To these teams, Jackson can be that guy. As Harden helped the Rockets land Dwight Howard, Jackson can help teams land another big name.

As for the Thunder, instead of going against what they believe in and spending an exorbitant amount of money to sign a guy who may or may not become a superstar in this league, why not get a ton of assets in return? As they did with Harden, the Thunder could turn Jackson into a handful of draft picks and young talent. If Thunder general manager Sam Presti was smart, he would move Jackson at the first sign of a valuable offer.

Greg Sacidor is a Philadelphia 76ers and NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Greg_Sacidor or add him to your network on Google.

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