Getty Reggie Jackson #1 of the Los Angeles Clippers goes up while looking for an open teammate against Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks.
The Boston Celtics‘ point guard position has undergone quite the rebuild thus far this offseason — and by the sound of it, things may just be getting started. Things kicked off with the team unloading starter Kemba Walker and his nearly $74 million contract to the Oklahoma City Thunder back in June. Since then, a flurry of moves have either been made or could possibly be in the works.
For example, highly-touted stashed guard Yam Madar has joined the Celtics’ Summer League roster. The team also recently acquired former top-five pick, Kris Dunn, in a three-team trade. Although there are rumblings that Dunn could once again be on the move. Furthermore, Marcus Smart, who was penciled in as the starter at the position, is now “more likely” to be traded than extended before the start of the season, as Stevens has reportedly grown “frustrated by Smart’s unpredictable play in recent years,” per Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix.
Boston has been floated as an ideal landing spot for a number of free-agent point guards, with Patty Mills, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry quickly jumping to mind. Now it looks as if we can add another player to that list of potential Walker replacements.
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Celtics Eyeing Reggie Jackson
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Celtics are among four teams who are interested in free agent point guard Reggie Jackson. Amick did cite sources that say the Los Angeles Clippers will prioritize re-signing Jackson, as well as forward Nicolas Batum. With that said, retaining Jackson could prove to be difficult.
The market is evidently heating up for the soon-to-be 11-year veteran, as the New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets are also said to be interested in obtaining Jackson’s services.
Jackson’s Memorable Playoff Run & Development From Deep
Jackson, who Bleacher Report dubbed a “playoff star”, delivered one of the more memorable postseason performances this season in the wake of Kawhi Leonard’s injury. The Boston College product stepped up to the plate, averaging 17.8 points, including nine 20-plus point performances over his 19 playoff games this past season.
Over the past two years in Los Angeles, Jackson has averaged 10.4 points, 3.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game. During that span, he’s been lights out from beyond the arc, knocking down 42.9% of his 3-point attempts, including a career-best 43.3% in 2020-21 — 12th-best in the NBA (via StatMuse).
Jackson, 31, was selected with the 24th overall pick by the Thunder back in 2011. His scoring output peaked in 2015-16 as a member of the Detroit Pistons, where he averaged 18.8 points per contest. Throughout his NBA career, the native Italian has bounced in and out of starting lineups, amassing 391 starts over his 628 regular-season game appearances. Whether part of a starting-five unit or coming off the bench, Jackson has readily delivered a scoring jolt for teams throughout his decade in the league.
Would Boston be willing to hand floor-general duties over to Jackson? That remains up for debate. Still, he’d be a welcomed addition at a position that looks to be more in limbo by the day.
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