Detroit Pistons: 3 reasons to trade Reggie Jackson

1. The Pistons have another good point guard on the roster

They say the most popular man in town is the backup quarterback. When the team loses and the starting QB shoulders all the blame, the backup enjoys the luxury of being viewed with grass-is-greener eyes by those who can only imagine that he’d outperform the starter if he was just given the chance.

Ish Smith is the Pistons’ backup point guard and a fan favorite who many would love to see supplant Jackson as the starter. Perhaps those fans don’t realize that the Pistons were 26-41 when Smith started games in 2016-17 and 2017-18, but that’s beside the point.

This season, Smith (9.2 points and 3.0 assists per game) has put together a resume that suggests the Pistons would do well with him playing a larger role.

The team started off 13-9 before Smith suffered a groin injury in early-December, and seemed to fall apart in his absence, going 5-14 without him. Smith returned to the lineup on Monday in a loss to the Utah Jazz.

Smith is a journeyman who has been on 10 teams in eight NBA seasons, but he seems to have found a home in Detroit. He has his flaws — he’s only  six feet tall and is an even worse shooter than Jackson — but Smith is a true floor general and great passer who forces the Pistons to play a faster pace.

He may not be the long-term solution, but if Detroit trades Jackson and doesn’t get a starting-caliber point guard in return, Smith is certainly capable of assuming the job and holding his own until a better option is found in the draft or in free agency.