The Oklahoma City Thunders are facing a tremendous adversity this season with both their super stars, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, sidelined due to injuries. Aside from the possibility of missing the playoffs in the tough Western Conference and contending for an NBA title, the franchise may also be dealing with a major issue next summer with the future of Reggie Jackson. The dynamic sixth man is reportedly looking for a bigger role and may walk away in free agency with the intent of playing as a starting point guard for another team according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
After discussions on a contract extension perished on Friday, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Reggie Jackson is determined to pursue restricted free agency as a means to hunt a starting job in the NBA, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Jackson has been described as eager to get on the market next summer, out of All-Star Russell Westbrook's shadow and prove his value as a front-line NBA point guard.
As rival teams evaluate restricted free-agency candidates next July, league executives believe Jackson holds a distinct advantage among his peers: The Thunder's investment into their star players may limit how far the franchise can go to match a rich offer sheet and make Jackson an ideal target to change teams.
"Bottom line," one NBA general manager told Yahoo Sports, "how much are they willing to pay for Westbrook's backup?"
Scott Polacek of Bleacher report believes that Jackson's rumored departure in free agency doesn't come as a surprise, given that the 24-year-old guard's potential and his limited minutes with the team. Russell Westbrook is a legitimate star and is the undisputed starting point guard when he is healthy, which means that it would be better for Jackson to leave OKC and sign with another team where he will be given the opportunity to maximize his potential as a star point guard. James Harden left the Thunder for the Houston Rockets and became an instant star in his first season with the team. Jackson could be headed in the same path as he will never truly know how far he can go in terms of unlocking his true potential if he continues to become Westbrook's backup.
The Thunder also have a huge portion of their salary cap room allocated on the contracts of Westbrook and Durant which means they will not be able to match a particularly big offer sheet from another team for Jackson. With Westbrook sidelined for at least two months due to injury this season, Jackson can finally showcase his skills as a starting point guard and a lot of teams will surely be paying close attention especially that he is headed for free agency next summer. And unfortunately for the Thunder, this might just well be the last season they will see Reggie Jackson in their roster.
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