Nuggets to make a key pick up, bring home a splashy veteran guard

The Nuggets got a solid comeback win 119-105 against the Hornets Saturday night, and hours later Charlotte helped Denver solidify its bench for the stretch run of the NBA season.

Denver traded away young guard Bones Hyland to the Clippers ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline as part of a four-team deal that netted the Nuggets Thomas Bryant. The middling Clippers were busy re-configuring their broken and often playoff-disappointing team around stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Since they got Hyland, traded John Wall for Eric Gordon and they have an emerging younger player in Terance Mann, they dealt Reggie Jackson who is 32 and on an expiring contract to Charlotte for former Nuggets center Mason Plumlee.

The Hornets are all but tanking and Shams Charania reports that they are expected to buy Jackson out and the Nuggets will get dibs on a Colorado kid.

Guard Reggie Jackson is finalizing a contract buyout with the Charlotte Hornets and plans to sign with the No. 1 West seed Denver Nuggets after he clears waivers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 12, 2023

Jackson is a 2008 graduate of Palmer in Colorado Springs, he went onto play for Boston College and was drafted in the first-round by the Thunder. He broke out in the shadow of Russell Westbrook, eventually forcing OKC to deal him to Detroit funny enough in a deal that featured the draft pick who would turn into Bryant. Jackson followed up some electric playoff performances in OKC with six consistent seasons for the Pistons, where for three seasons he split a backcourt with now Nuggets guard Ish Smith and for two years with current Denver guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Jackson had a great run with the Clippers over the last four seasons including three more playoff series wins to match his mark from OKC.

Last season Jackson scored 17 points and threw five assists per game over 75 stats for the Clippers. The 6-2 guard has played in 755 NBA games, fourth most from a player who calls Colorado home, and 69 playoff games. Jackson had another great run in the 2021 postseason but this year has struggled for a topsy-turvy Clippers team, who seemingly has changed their roles and rotations every single night.

Still Jackson has scored 11 points, throw 3.5 assists and grabbed two rebounds per game over 52 contests, 38 of which have been starts. He’s shooting 42% from the field, 35% from three and 92% from the line this season, compared nicely to 42% shooting, 37% from deep and 86% from the line over his past five seasons which encompasses just over 300 games. So there’s a sense that his numbers, and big playoff moments will be a big boost to Denver’s bench, which now could use a veteran guard with a scoring punch.

Jackson could be helpful right away, given Jamal Murray has missed a handful of games recently with knee soreness. That has forced wing Bruce Brown to guard spot, who you guessed it, is a former teammate of Jackson’s in Detroit.

So the Nuggets deadline haul ends up being Hyland, Reed and a second-rounder out for Bryant and Jackson. Nice moves from Calvin Booth.

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