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Reggie Jackson's phenomenal postseason run with the LA Clippers came to a tearful end on Wednesday night as they lost game six to the Phoenix Suns and failed to make the NBA Finals. Despite the loss, Jackson's playoff performances and his time in California have helped revive his career, something he felt he owed to his teammates and the organization.
With free agency impending, his future is now up in the air. Having averaged 17.8 points per game in the playoffs, Jackson boosted his price tag every time he stepped on the floor. The LA Clippers may not be able to bring him back because of that. The franchise is going to have very little cap space in the summer, especially if star Kawhi Leonard stays.
So there will now be multiple front offices around the league preparing to make an offer to Reggie Jackson. He has shown he can be a consistent postseason scorer and has now earned his place on a championship-caliber side.
3 teams who could challenge to sign Reggie Jackson in the postseason
There will be a throng of guards to choose from in this year's free agency and prior to the 2020-21 campaign, not many would've put Reggie Jackson high on the agenda. Even after averaging 10.7 points and 3.1 assists during the regular season, Jackson's stock wasn't exactly sky-high. However, with nine 20+ point showings against some of the toughest teams in the league, his stock has arguably never been higher.
Jackson brings with him veteran experience and timely scoring from across the floor. There were countless occasions in the playoffs in which Reggie Jackson kept the LA Clippers alive and was the perfect outlet as teams focused their defensive energy on Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
With the free agency market soon upon us, we have taken a look at three teams who should push to sign Reggie Jackson, who could be looking at a big pay-day this summer.
#3 Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have been calling out all season for backcourt depth either alongside All-Star Jaylen Brown or to replace either Kemba Walker or Marcus Smart. While Reggie Jackson's numbers were no better than any of the above, his offseason performances have raised a lot of eyebrows and is a player the C's can afford. Furthermore, there have been plenty of rumors linking Walker and Smart with moves away from Boston.
Jackson's playoff showing has reignited his worth. Stepping up when Kawhi Leonard was out, he shot at 40% from downtown and 48% from the field across 19 games and when the LA Clippers were eliminated, no player had scored more threes than he had. On the court, he helped the Clippers outscore their opponents by 125 points. Conversely, when he was rested, they were outscored by 21.
Reggie Jackson is also a tenacious defender and had a defensive rating of 113 during the regular season. That is the same as Marcus Smart, a player who many consider to be an elite defender. He could add depth to a Boston Celtics side looking to become a contender again in the East after a disappointing campaign this year.
#2 LA Clippers
A future in LA could be extremely complicated for Reggie Jackson and the Clippers, but not impossible. As mentioned, they have limited cap space, Very limited in fact. Even if Kawhi Leonard chooses not to re-sign, they would still be around next year's $112.4m cap.
Currently, Jackson's Early Bird Rights start at about $10m, a sum the LA Clippers would have been happy to pay a matter of weeks ago. However, with every made three-pointer, the 31-year-old's price tag jumped and is now at a level the franchise cannot afford. That being said, it is a buyer's market when it comes to point guards this summer with several high-brow options available to teams interested.
The LA Clippers will have to rely on other sides not offering Reggie Jackson a higher offer or already having a point guard in place to take the reigns next year.
#1 Philadelphia 76ers
Another team who could find it difficult to sign Reggie Jackson but whom he would definitely benefit is the Philadelphia 76ers. As things stand, the Sixers are not necessarily in the market for another point guard with Ben Simmons, Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton and George Hill all presently under contract.
However, one or more of these players could be on their way out of Philadelphia with rumors swirling around Simmons' future. That makes Jackson an intriguing option either as the second option in the backcourt alongside a star or as a backup off the bench. Akin to the LA Clippers, Jackson would be playing on a contending team that has an MVP-worthy center in Joel Embiid.
Reggie Jackson's playoff run with the Clippers was everything the 76ers wanted from their backcourt, reliable, consistent scoring and defensive nous. Doc Rivers struggled to get both at the same time from his stars.
Guess the Lakers players!
