Detroit Pistons: Moving ahead with rebuild after Reggie Jackson buyout
By Corey Rausch
After a fraught tenure, the Detroit Pistons waive Reggie Jackson and take the next step in their tank. Who will fill his shoes as the starting point guard?
The other shoe has finally dropped and the era of Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson is over with the Detroit Pistons. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski announced Tuesday that the Pistons have completed the contract buyout for the point guard, opening the chance for him to head to Los Angeles to fortify the bench for the LA Clippers.
If Andre Drummond was the most polarizing Piston over recent seasons, Jackson challenged him for that title at every turn. Whether it be injuries or perceived attitude issues, Jackson never seemed to get a fair shake with the Motor City faithful.
All of a sudden Langston Galloway and Luke Kennard, brought in weeks apart, are now the longest-tenured Detroit Pistons with just three years experience under their belts. Things change very quickly this time of year. Just a couple weeks ago Piston fans were bemoaning the fact that veterans remained on the roster, blocking the development of young players.
This is the first step in opening up those chances. Even if further buyouts do not occur, the Pistons are fully moving into the rebuild. Locker room culture will be in a weird place after this, but there are still steadying forces in Thon Maker and Langston Galloway who will be here at least through the next 25 games.
As the Pistons approach the home stretch of the season, losing Reggie Jackson gives younger players more of an opportunity to shine. The open roster spot created by this move could allow the Pistons to convert Jordan Bone’s two-way contract to a standard contract. Bruce Brown will have a full-time opportunity to show if he should be given the look at this position going into next season.