Sounds like there was more bad blood and frustration between Reggie Jackson and the OKC Thunder than we realized. By now you know he was traded to the Detroit Piston just before the trade deadline Thursday, and on his way out, both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook kinda threw subtle shots at Jackson and it made you wonder why? They seemed like a close unit, but looks can be deceiving. Now we have reports Jackson actually told coach Scott Brooks he wasn’t going to play sometimes because he was upset he wasn’t traded sooner.
@IamJoeSports
So Reggie got what he wanted. He wanted to be a starting point guard, which he has the talent for, but that was never going to happen with Russell Westbrook on the same team. But according to all types of reports, Jackson wasn’t making things easy for the team or franchise, and was actually causing hostility in the locker room.
Two days before the Thunder’s season opener in Portland, Jackson sprained his ankle and missed the team’s first two games. In their third game, the Nov. 1 home opener against the Nuggets, Jackson was cleared to play, but according to a source, refused to because of disappointment that he wasn’t traded before the Oct. 31 extension deadline for first-round picks entering their fourth season, like Harden before him. Jackson spoke at shootaround that morning, coyly saying he probably wouldn’t play that night. Immediately after finishing his session, he grabbed a ball and threw down an impressive drop-step windmill dunk — in front of reporters and his teammates.
The Thunder honestly seem happy to be rid of him, which is sad because he did a good job there, but sometimes relationships and feelings change. Jackson had previously turned down a 4 year, $48 million dollar offer from OKC. I am not sure how much he expects to make, but clearly he didn’t think that was enough.
