Sixers sign veteran guard Reggie Jackson, setting up reunion with Paul George

Veteran guard Reggie Jackson is signing with the Sixers, the team announced on Tuesday morning.

Jackson, 34, was traded to the Hornets as part of a six-team deal in early July and bought out of his contract last week.

After spending his early years in Oklahoma City and Detroit, Jackson signed with the Los Angeles Clippers following a contract buyout with the Pistons. It was after the Clippers lost in the Conference Finals in 2021 that an emotional Jackson declared that Los Angeles, on the shoulders of newly-minted Sixer Paul George, had saved his career. He even credited George, specifically, with reaching out to him before his time in Detroit came to an end.

Jackson will now bring his 2023 championship experience with the Denver Nuggets to Philadelphia, reuniting with George in what both the player and the organization hope is a banner-hanging experience.

Jackson ranked better than about two-thirds of the league's combo guards in assist percentage last season, per Cleaning The Glass (CTG). He was a tick above his position's average in turnover rate, according to CTG.

Perhaps the more appealing facet of his game is the shooting. While 37 percent from three was below average for combo guards last season, that is a satisfying number in a vacuum. The question should be whether he can replicate that efficiency in Philadelphia, as Jackson trended toward mediocrity or worse as a three-point shooter in each of the two seasons before 2023-24.

The intrigue is that Jackson shot 40 percent on catch-and-shoot threes last season, per NBA.com. His efficiency in catch-and-shoot situations has largely withstood the test of time, too.

Jackson is a capable enough ball-handler in a reserve role. Although, the more he has the ball in his hands, the more likely he is to show lapses in judgment with his shot selection. The Sixers are betting that he can maintain that three-point marksmanship in an ecosystem that features Joel Embiid, and, on occasion, manage the offense as a primary or secondary ball-handler.

If you're searching for fascinating subplots to follow throughout the season, the decision to sign Jackson introduces one. He and Kyle Lowry would theoretically slot as direct competitors for the backup point guard job. As much as you'd expect the guy with years of experience with head coach Nick Nurse to win that trust, there is some overlap in their skillsets at this stage of their respective careers. Defining a role for Jackson becomes all the more complicated when you consider that his minutes should theoretically be tied to those of Embiid to maximize the gravity that creates his catch-and-shoot potential.

Even if the older veteran wins the primary backup minutes, there is likely a job for Jackson when you consider that Lowry did not play both halves of back-to-backs when he joined the Sixers after the 2024 All-Star break.

There will be maintenance nights for Lowry throughout the season. If he is indeed behind Nurse's long-time point guard on the depth chart, those nights will be Jackson's chances to prove himself.

Jackson's best chance to carve a consistent role in the rotation might start on the defensive end of the floor. He's never been billed for his defensive ability, and Jackson stands at just 6-foot-2. But, Jackson sports a seven-foot wingspan.

He won't prove himself to be a viable shooting guard with his height. But, former Sixer De'Anthony Melton possessed similar height. Yet, his length made him a fixture in Philadelphia's lineup during his time with the franchise.

That is not to suggest that Jackson is remotely as adept a defender as Melton was when healthy. It is to suggest that Jackson has the physical tools to prove that he can hold his own against more challenging offensive players if he buys in on the defensive side of the court. The more reliable he proves himself to be on defense, the more wiggle room Nurse has to experiment with Jackson in different lineup combinations - with and without Embiid. And if that catch-and-shoot skill translates, Jackson doesn't have to just log minutes as the lead ball-handler. It expands Philadelphia's menu by quite a bit.

For now, all we can go off is history. And that would suggest that Jackson's likeliest outcome is a helpful depth guard in the regular season who lives on the fringes of the rotation come playoff time.

"We feel great about the players we've brought in. But, as folks in Philly know, I always say that a team evolves during a season. As we see things that are needed to address the team, we have draft picks that we could use," President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey said at Paul George's introductory press conference last Tuesday.

"We're going to keep an open roster spot. So, as we have injuries or the needs really arise where Coach Nurse sees something we need to do, we'll address those."

With Jackson aboard, the Sixers have two roster spots remaining.