Reggie Jackson Re-Signs with Pistons: Latest Contract Details and Reaction
The Detroit Pistons re-signed Reggie Jackson to a massive five-year deal on July 5. Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported the two sides agreed on a contract worth $80 million.
The Pistons officially announced the signing on July 20.
Teammate Brandon Jennings took to Twitter to offer his thoughts on the news:
"Congrats to my teammate @Reggie_Jackson well deserved!!!! Now let's make these Playoffs!!!
— BRANDON JENNINGS (@BrandonJennings) July 6, 2015"
Zach Lowe of Grantland is stunned at the value of the potential deal, since the market for Jackson's services didn't look to be heating up:
ESPN.com's Ethan Sherwood Strauss put the terms into perspective:
This development is certainly a sign the Pistons are confident Jackson can be their point guard of the future. It's also vindication for the 25-year-old after he turned down a four-year offer from the Oklahoma City Thunder last year that would've paid him roughly $48 million.
Detroit acquired him from Oklahoma City back in February as part of a trade that also included the Utah Jazz. He averaged 17.6 points, 9.2 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 27 games following the deal. NBA Central noted Jackson also had a couple of notable single-game performances during that stretch:
Even with the presence of Jennings, the chances of Jackson's leaving the Pistons never seemed high given the franchise went through the difficulty of trading for him in the first place.
David Mayo of MLive.com passed along comments from the 6'3" guard after the season ended, and the former first-round pick certainly sounded like somebody expecting to continue his career in Detroit.
"There's a continuity, especially coming back," Jackson said. "If we still have the same kind of core, then that would be great. Getting to know these guys has been amazing. I'm looking forward to texting them over the summer, keeping our motivation together."
Head coach Stan Van Gundy now has to find enough playing time and offensive touches for both Jackson and Jennings. Both are guards who like to handle the ball at a high rate.
Anthony Cardamone of Pistons Nation further highlighted Jackson's impact after the February trade while an Achilles injury sidelined Jennings:
"With the Pistons, Reggie Jackson was second in the NBA with 13.5 drives to the basket per game and scored 41% (7.3 PPG) of his PPG that way.
— Anthony Cardamone (@ACardamoneNBA) June 13, 2015"
All told, Jackson isn't the most efficient shooter—43 percent for his career, including 29 percent from three—and his defense is a work in progress. That said, when allowed to handle the ball consistently, he's showcased the ability to energize an offense.
That's why, in part, the Pistons feel he's worth such a massive investment. However, he'll likely have to make steps forward in 2015-16 to truly repay Detroit's faith in his talents.
