Reggie Jackson joins Sixers after being cut by Hornets

The Hornets part with experienced point guard Reggie Jacksonleague sources tell Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Boone had previously reported that the move was expected.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), Jackson plans to sign with the Sixes once he has approved the exemptions.

Before Wojnarowski’s report, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer had tweeted that the 76ers would be interested in Jackson, who was playing with Paul George in Los Angeles from 2020-23.

Jackson, a 13-year NBA veteran, spent the 2023-24 season in Denver, where he was a backup Jamal Murray on the point. He averaged 10.2 points, 3.8 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game, with a .431/.359/.806 shooting line in 82 appearances (23 starts).

Jackson exercised a $5.25 million player option in June, but the Nuggets wanted to go in a different direction with their reserve point guard position and traded the 34-year-old to Charlotte along with multiple second-round picks in a salary dump deal. Denver is close to signing Russel Westbrook to fill the hole in the backcourt created by that deal.

Meanwhile, the Hornets made their trade with Denver to acquire those future second-round picks in lieu of Jackson, who was not in their plans for 2024-25. It’s the second time in the past two years that Charlotte has traded Jackson and then let him go shortly afterward — it also happened in February 2023, when the Clippers sent him to the Hornets in a deal for Mason PlumleeThree days later, Jackson was fired and at that point he entered the acquisition market with Denver.

Firing Jackson creates an opening on Charlotte’s 15-player roster, leaving the team with 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts and one (Taj Gibson) on a partially guaranteed deal.

The Sixers, meanwhile, expect to bring Jackson on board on a minimum-salary contract, as that’s all they can offer free agents after exhausting their cap space and their room exception. The veteran guard will be the 13th man on Philadelphia’s standard roster, providing additional depth to a backcourt filled with rising stars Tyrese Maxeyveterans Kyle Lowry And Eric Gordonand rookie Jared McCain.

A minimum deal for Jackson will pay him approximately $3.3 million, while the 76ers’ salary is just $2.09 million.