Reggie Jackson is planning to sign with the Denver Nuggets once he finalizes his buyout with the Charlotte Hornets, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. The veteran guard got traded by the Los Angeles Clippers before Thursday's trade deadline in a deal that brought veteran big man and former Nugget Mason Plumlee to the Clippers.
Jackson, who played for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons earlier in his career, arrived in Los Angeles as a 2019 buyout signing. He grew into a core player and frequent starter for the Clippers over the past several years, but this season, the Clippers spent most of the trading period seeking out improvements in the backcourt. They ultimately landed on Eric Gordon and former Nugget Bones Hyland, whom Jackson will likely replace in Denver's rotation.
Denver spent most of its energy leading up to the deadline attempting to move Hyland due to his volatile playing style. He is a gunner, capable of scoring 20 points in a quarter or shooting a team out of a playoff game. The Nuggets wanted someone a bit more consistent as their backup point guard, and they've found someone who fits the bill in Jackson. His shooting numbers are down this season, but the last time he played in the playoffs, he averaged nearly 18 points per game for a Clippers team that was missing Kawhi Leonard.
Now Jackson will return to the area where he spent much of his youth, and the rivalry between the Clippers and Nuggets only thickens now that both sides have players who had previously suited up for the other. The Nuggets, sitting a top the Western Conference with a relatively healthy four-game lead, have been nearly unstoppable with Nikola Jokic on the floor this season, but whenever he's gone to the bench, they've struggled to generate much of anything offensively. With Jackson and fellow deadline addition Thomas Bryant, they've improved their bench significantly before the playoffs. The Clippers, meanwhile, are currently sixth in the West, but four teams and two games separate them from third place.
