NBA Rumors: Bucks Should Trade Stephen Jackson Whether He Demands It or Not

The Milwaukee Bucks need to trade unhappy forward Stephen Jackson regardless of whether he demands a trade or not because players who aren't making an impact and/or aren't happy have no place on a young team.

According to ESPN, Jackson would not comment on if he's requested a trade, but he's clearly frustrated with how this season has unfolded thus far.

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"I'm supporting my teammates the way that I've always been," Jackson said Monday. "I'm going to respect the coaches, I'm going to respect everybody around. But at the end of the day, everybody knows I want to play. That's not a secret."

Jackson wouldn't say if he had requested a trade.

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Jackson has been suspended this season for verbally abusing a referee and has played very few minutes over the past two weeks.

Teammate and Bucks starting point guard Brandon Jennings thought Jackson might have been able to help the team in a recent game they were struggling in.

"I felt like he should have played against Chicago," Jennings said. "The fact that we were struggling, I was in foul trouble, maybe he could have gave us a spark. Just his presence probably could have changed the game. You never know."

Jackson is a good player, especially in terms of scoring, but if the team is not going to give him the minutes he needs to be effective, why bother keeping him on the roster? Keeping him and not giving him enough playing time is not only unfair to him, it's unfair to the rest of the team.

In 18 games this season while playing 30.2 minutes per night, Jackson is averaging 12.8 points per game and is shooting an impressive 87 percent from the foul line. He is an offensive threat that defenses have to respect, but if you won't let him contribute then trade him.

With many teams in the playoff race thanks to the shortened season, Jackson could be a trade target for many teams, making him very valuable to the Bucks.

If Jackson is not going to be a large part of the Bucks team, they must trade him to a contender and get some players and/or draft picks in return.

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