LA Clippers: Evaluating players with 2020 expiring contracts

Reggie Jackson

The 29-year old guard has played in nine games for Los Angeles after being signed by the Clippers on February 20 to a minimum contract. He was previously bought out and waived by the Detroit Pistons.

Jackson is a classic one-and-done buyout player and a fantastic addition at a bargain price to add guard depth and scoring versatility to the Clippers for the remainder of the 2019-20 NBA season. Before joining LA on a minimum deal his salary for the year was $17.3 million with Detroit.

Like Marcus Morris, Jackson was a perfect player to add depth to a team chasing a championship.

Also like Morris, Jackson can provide toughness and high-percentage three-point shooting to the Clippers bench. However Morris does those things from the forward position, and provides much more defensive versatility than Jackson.

Unlike Morris, we don’t think there are any scenarios, outside of Jackson agreeing to play for a minimum contract for a full season, that would warrant his return to Los Angeles for 2019-20.

The Clippers are already very deep at the guard positions and have players that can make up for what they’d lose by letting Reggie Jackson walk. Second-year guard Landry Shamet could certainly make up for the shooting they’d lose out on and has also showed good defensive instincts so far in his short career. He’d be the perfect low cost piece (already under contract) to take the next step into an even more involved role in the Clippers rotation.

Jackson might not get anywhere near the $17.3 million he earned this year with his next contract, but even at a reduced price his return to Los Angeles seems highly unlikely.