The Nuggets have agreed to trade veteran point guard Reggie Jackson to the Hornets, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link), who hears from a source that Charlotte will also receive three second-round picks in the deal.
The Nuggets will send out their own 2025, 2029, and 2030 second-round picks in the swap, reports Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). They’ll receive cash from the Hornets, tweets Matt Moore of Action Network.
The news comes just three days after Jackson picked up his $5.25MM player option with Denver for the 2024/25 season.
Jackson, who originally signed with Denver on the buyout market in February 2023, struggled down the stretch during the Nuggets’ championship season, making just 38.3% of his field goal attempts (27.9% of his three-pointers) in 16 regular season games before falling out of the rotation for the playoffs.
However, the Nuggets opted not only to retain him for the 2023/24 season but to give him a raise, signing him to a two-year, $10.25MM contract using their taxpayer mid-level exception. The 34-year-old responded with a strong bounce-back season, averaging 10.2 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .431/.359/.806.
Despite that solid ’23/24 season, the Nuggets are essentially moving Jackson in a salary-dump deal, attaching future draft assets to move him and create some additional breathing room below the tax aprons.
According to Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter link), Denver’s team salary is now right around the $171MM tax line and approximately $19MM below the second apron. If the club wants to remain below that second apron and re-sign veteran wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who is declining his $15.4MM player option, additional cost-cutting moves would likely be required.
It’s unclear whether or not Jackson will be in the Hornets’ plans for 2024/25. The team is expected to operate under the cap this offseason, so it could use cap room to take on the guard’s expiring contract. The $8MM room exception can also be used to acquire players via trade now, as cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets.
Why do that when you could just sign a guy?
They are getting 3 second round picks
What if nobody wants to sign with you? Cuz you’re the Hornets…
Okay when I first read this I thought the Nuggets were getting 3SRPs. Now this makes more sense.
Hornets needed to start doing things like this years ago
Surprised another teams trying to contend didn’t accept this. For example I’d happily take Reggie and 3 seconds on the Sixers. We have loads of cap space and need to start filling out the depth chart. Reggie could’ve been a handy back up PG.
Maybe they tried and Denver chose to deal with Charlotte? If you’re the Nuggets you aren’t trying to help out good teams. You want to make this move with the worst team possible.
Nuggets gotta bring back Pope. Reggie and Zeke can go.
If the nugs can unload Zeke it would be miracle. Awful awful awful contract
can anyone explain why the NBA isn’t capable of letting whoever actually owns the pick make the pick?
Has something to do with teams not being able to trade a first round pick in consecutive seasons — so the work-around is that you pick the player THEN trade him. It’s stupid and confusing.
Don’t get Hornets lols ……
Hawks and Hornets seem to be regressing.
We can’t blame MJ any more ……
He will be bought out and go to a contender.