Jackson to Detroit, Kanter to OKC, Utah to buy out Perkins
After much of the day was spent hearing Reggie Jackson-to-Brooklyn-Nets reports, the Detroit Pistons swooped in late and landed the soon-to-be free-agent guard.
Jackson was the centerpiece of a three-team deal between the Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz that sends center Enes Kanter, D.J. Augustin, Kyle Singler and Steve Novak to the Thunder and Kendrick Perkins to Utah.
However, Perkins likely won’t be in Salt Lake City longer than it takes for him to sign his buyout agreement, according to The Salt Lake Tribune’s Tony Jones:
I'm told Perkins will indeed be bought out by the Utah jazz. @DJJazzyJody has also reported this
— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) February 19, 2015
Jackson wanted to be a starting point guard, something that wasn’t going to happen in Oklahoma City with All-Star MVP Russell Westbrook in place.
Jackson is averaging 12.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 28 minutes a game on a shooting line of .432/.278/.861.
The question will be whether he will stay in Detroit this summer and, if he does, will Stan Van Gundy then look to move Brandon Jennings, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles.
Kanter had wanted out of Utah, as well, unhappy with his playing time after second-year big man Rudy Gobert emerged as a serious defensive force.
Kanter, who will also be a restricted free agent this summer, brings low-post scoring to OKC—to the tune of 13.8 points and 7.8 rebounds in 27.1 minutes a game in Utah, shooting .491/.317/.788.
Singler likely becomes a backup for the Thunder (unless you really think he’ll beat out Kevin Durant at small forward) after starting 150 games in two-plus seasons in Detroit, including 40 this season.
He was averaging 7.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 23.8 minutes a game.
Novak, a 3-point shooting specialist, was buried behind the youth movement in Utah and had played in only 22 games. But he is shooting 48.5 percent from 3-point range and is a 43.4 percent career shooter from the land of the bonus point.
Jackson’s role had diminished in Oklahoma City since the arrival of Dion Waiters in a trade last month, as well.