Knicks Trade Rumors: Pros, Cons Of Trading For Reggie Jackson

Con: Character Issues?

Reggie Jackson isn’t a bad person, but he is a player who has been criticized for his character. He was panned by ex-teammates following his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder and has again come under fire during his time with the Detroit Pistons.

This isn’t necessarily a reason to not trade for him, but it is worth noting that Jackson hasn’t been the most well-liked of teammates during his NBA career.

Following the trade that sent Jackson from Oklahoma City to Detroit, Kevin Durant stated that, “Everyone wanted to be here except for one guy.” Russell Westbrook responded to questions about Jackson with a simple question: “Who?”

Durant even slighted Jackson by stating that he wasn’t even one of the two best players on the Pistons.

In Detroit, Jackson responded to criticism that he’s too ball dominant by taking just five shots in a loss to the Chicago Bulls—a loss during which he dished out just three assists. He claimed that, “A lot of the play calls were to get the ball moving.”

Per Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press, head coach Stan Van Gundy denied that his play calling asked for Jackson to play in the manner he did.

"“That’s wasn’t us,” Van Gundy said. “That was him.”"

Jackson isn’t a bad person, but these recurring issues with coaches and teammates are disconcerting.

The optimistic take is that Jackson would be entering a veteran locker room in New York. Carmelo Anthony, Courtney Lee, and Joakim Noah have all played at least nine seasons in the NBA.

Considering Kristaps Porzingis publicly stated that the Knicks’ players are, “Playing for themselves,” however, this isn’t the healthiest of situations.

It’s up to Phil Jackson to determine whether or not Jeff Hornacek can channel his inner Zen Master.