Both Brandon Jennings and Reggie Jackson are signed to starters money. Last season, Jennings was the starter until an Achilles injury knocked him out and the Pistons traded for Jackson who thrived in the final stretch of the season. Now entering 2015, Jackson is expected to be the starter with Jennings' role up in the air. According to the veteran, he is not focused on trade talk or his position on the team and is simply hoping to get healthy for the start of the year.
Jennings told Yahoo Sports that he was happy the Pistons re-signed Jackson because it gives the team another scoring threat. He is aware that might mean he could be coming off the bench in Detroit this season, but that is not his focused. Jennings stressed all he is thinking about is getting healthy after his injury.
"Bringing in Reggie was smart, because I'm supposed to be out, really, for nine months, and they needed a point guard," Jennings said, via Yahoo Sports. "My main thing is to get healthy. If I have to come off the bench and be the sixth man or whatever, I'm fine with that. I just want to play basketball again."
Jennings was thriving before his injury has he was putting up 20.0 points and 7.2 assists per game. However, the Achilles tear ended all of that. Many believe that when Jennings comes back, if he can put up the same type of numbers then he will be a mid-season trade piece for Detroit. With a number of teams looking for help at the position, Detroit could really cash in by trading Jennings during the year.
According to the New York Daily News, the Knicks could be a target if Jose Calderon, Langston Galloway or Jerian Grant struggle. The team has been linked to multiple point guard upgrades including Ricky Rubio and Eric Bledsoe. They were actively seeking Goran Dragic until he re-signed with the Miami Heat. There is doubt in their current rotation of players and Phil Jackson will not hesitate to make a move if needed.
The same can be said for the Los Angeles Lakers who are putting all of their eggs in D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson. Both players struggled during summer league play causing some concern about the state of the position. The Los Angeles Times reports that the Lakers have trade assets and could try and make a move to get an elite player on the roster.
For now, the Pistons will retain Jennings. He is not expected to be healthy at the start of the season, but is aiming to get on the court some time before 2016. Detroit will not seek an immediate trade, but will instead let Jennings get healthy before allowing him to play and showcase what he can do.
"I'm going to come back when I'm ready," Jennings said. "I don't know if I'll be ready for training camp - I don't know for sure. I'm definitely going to take my time through training camp and the preseason. I probably won't be back to myself until at least around December, that's for sure."
