NBA Rumors: Brandon Jennings Fine Coming Off Bench For Detroit Pistons
NBA rumors have Brandon Jennings saying all the right things. The Detroit Pistons have Jennings coming back for the 2015-16 NBA season, but the team also gave Reggie Jackson a huge contract in the offseason. A report from the Detroit Free Press states that Jennings is just fine with the team bringing in another point guard. He even gave the front office a compliment about making sure that the roster was strong.
“Bringing in Reggie Jackson was smart. I’m supposed to be out, really, for nine months, and they need a point guard. My main thing is just to get healthy. Hey, if I have to come off the bench and be the sixth man or whatever, I’m fine with that. Man, I just want to play basketball again. I just want to get back on the court and have fun.”
There are bound to be a few NBA rumors about the Detroit Pistons trading Brandon Jennings if the team starts out slow next season. He is in the final season of a three-year, $24 million deal that will pay him just over $8.3 million in 2015-16. The 26-year-old point guard likely has a lot of basketball left in his future, so saying all the right things at this moment is a wise move for him to make. It also keeps the waters smooth in Detroit if his future with the team is to continue coming off the bench as a sixth man.
As for Reggie Jackson, in 27 games for the Pistons, he averaged 17.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. While it is indeed a small sample size, the 25-year-old point guard showed what he could do in Detroit. The front office hopes that continues for a long time after it gave him a five-year, $80 million deal. He will start with $14 million next season and his salary will escalate until he makes $18 million for the 2019-20 NBA season.
In the world of fantasy basketball, it will become very interesting to see how owners value the situation with the Detroit Pistons. With Brandon Jennings set to miss some more time, it means Reggie Jackson will get a lot of minutes early in the season. When he does return in December, Jennings will be coming off the bench to begin with, likely hurting his value a lot in fantasy leagues. Pistons fans should expect the NBA trade rumors to pick up right around that point, whether the team is in contention or not.
[Image Source: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images]
