The veteran should be a capable third point guard for a Sixers team in search of a steady hand for the role.
In late July, the Philadelphia 76ers signed 34-year-old point guard Reggie Jackson to a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract, after his previous deal was bought out by the Charlotte Hornets. With Tyrese Maxey a team centerpiece, and Kyle Lowry re-signing with the Sixers this offseason, it’s clear that Jackson is set to fill the third point guard role where Cam Payne resided a year ago. Payne played 19.4 minutes per game in 31 appearances for Philadelphia last regular season after arriving from Milwaukee, even playing some helpful playoff minutes.
Inherently, it’s hard to ‘miss’ on a veteran’s minimum signing, given there are no downside cap implications in the short- or long-term. Plus, there are things to like about bringing Jackson into a fold. He has been durable, appearing in at least 67 regular season games each of the last four years, including all 82 games with Denver last season. He isn’t a lights-out shooter, but Jackson isn’t going to hurt your spacing either, as a 34.5 percent career three-point shooter who shot 35.9 percent a year ago. He can be a steady hand at the helm of the offense, with a career 4.2-1.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. The big stage of the playoffs won’t be overwhelming, with Jackson appearing in postseason games for four different franchises. Plus, he’s a former teammate of Paul George in Los Angeles, and it’s never a bad idea to bring in another familiar face for your max free agent signing.
However, unlike another summer signing in Guerschon Yabusele, there’s not a lot of potential upside in Jackson’s arrival. If Reggie is starting or playing a sixth man-type role for games that matter this season, something likely went terribly wrong. At this stage of Jackson’s career, the Sixers are simply hoping he can maintain his previous level of production and doesn’t fall off a cliff. When you see other point guards like Markelle Fultz or Dennis Smith Jr. still available in free agency, or Tyus Jones signing a one-year minimum deal with Phoenix, you wonder if this roster spot could have been better utilized.
Still, younger guys are probably looking for an opportunity for more minutes somewhere to prove themselves, something that wouldn’t really be available in Philadelphia. We know Jones being able to be a fifth starter or sixth man for a legitimate playoff team like Phoenix was a factor in the Suns being able to get him so cheaply. Telling someone they might only get a handful of minutes per game, or likely even rack up some DNP-CD’s, is not the most enticing pitch.
Ultimately, Jackson should be a perfectly capable contributor in this role. If there is a minor injury or two, I feel comfortable with him stepping in on a short-term basis and helping to keep the offense humming. I might have let Jeff Dowtin Jr. take this spot in the point guard pecking order, and taken another flier on a wing type with Jackson’s roster spot, but we’re not in a situation to know what was truly available in the market. The man once nicknamed Big Government with the Clippers for his ability to bail them out is now much further down on the ballot, but I won’t be worried if his name is called in November (and beyond).