The Lakers and Clippers are the two favorites to emerge from the Western Conference and play in the 2020 NBA Finals, and late-season transactions could prove to be crucial as we approach the playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers stood pat at the trade deadline and did not make a move to alter a roster that is currently the best in the Western Conference, and then failed to convince retired guard Darren Collison to come back to the NBA. The Clippers, meanwhile, recently acquired the exact type of experienced scoring guard that the Lakers need, agreeing to a deal with Reggie Jackson after Jackson received a buyout from the Detroit Pistons.
Jackson has only played 14 games this season due to a back injury, but when healthy, Jackson is a player who can deliver 15 points and 5 assists per game, though he does not have much experience coming off the bench. According to ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, Jackson picked the wrong Los Angeles team, and would have been given a much bigger role had he pursued a deal with the Lakers.
“I’m not a fan of Reggie choosing the Clippers for the simple fact that they’re deep. Reggie is 29 years old. I mean, going into the situation, yeah they could tell you ‘hey you’re going to come in and play X amount of minutes,’ and when you get there something may change. My thing is with Reggie is, maybe if he goes to the Lakers, you knew for sure he’s going to play 20-25 minutes. The Clippers have a lot of firepower, and I don’t know if its a great fit for Reggie.
…. They already have Lou Will, they have Pat Bev, they have all these scorers and all this talent. I just don’t see where Reggie is fitting in there.”
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