A major shake up might be coming to the Detroit Pistons.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Pistons have discussed a trade that would send guard Reggie Jackson to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for point guard Ricky Rubio.
Story going online now with @ChrisBHaynes: ESPN sources say Minnesota and Detroit have discussed a PG swap of Ricky Rubio and Reggie Jackson
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 21, 2017
Any deal would expand to involve other players — such as Shabazz Muhammad — but sources say for now the teams are in the talking stage
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 21, 2017
Jackson missed the first 21 games this season due to a knee injury and the Pistons have struggled, going 9-14 since his return.
Rubio is no stranger to injury himself, averaging just 55.6 games per season over the course of his five NBA seasons. His contract is a little bit friendlier than Jackson's, making just $13.4 million this season.
The idea of adding Shabazz Muhammad is interesting as well. He's a lengthy wing who can score, but has perceived issues being a ‘team first' guy. However, we've seen this story before with Marcus Morris, who despite his struggles this season, has been way more productive than anybody thought he could be coming to Detroit. Perhaps a change of scenery is all Muhammad needs to really showcase all of his talents.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Reggie Jackson:
PPG: 16.7
APG: 5.3
RPG: 2.3
- Jackson is a much better scorer and crunch time player than Rubio is, he has also been less susceptible to injury throughout his career. He's a better shooter on a team that struggles shooting the ball, but there has been questions as to whether or not he can gel with the team.
Ricky Rubio:
PPG: 7.7
APG: 7.9
RPG: 3.9
- Rubio is an infinity times better passer than Jackson is, and makes incredible sense for a team that struggles to move the ball. His court vision is better, and he's a smarter player. Rubio is also a much better defender, but has very little to offer in terms of scoring, and is a horrendous three-point shooter. Not every team needs scoring from the point guard position in order to be successful, but it's not like the rest of the Pistons lineup is stacked with offensive talent.
