The Philadelphia 76ers have actively been in the market for a point guard since they currently only have two on the roster. It was reported earlier this week that they were considering signing restricted free agent Norris Cole to an offer sheet, but nothing has come of that yet. Now it is being reported that the 76ers have struck a deal with point guard Pierre Jackson, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.
Jackson becomes the third point guard on the team, behind Tony Wroten and Isaiah Canaan. The 76ers needed a third point guard because Wroten is recovering from a knee injury and is no guarantee to be cleared to play to start the year. Jackson will likely compete with Canaan for backup minutes, as Canaan hasn't exactly locked that spot down yet.
Jackson's journey to this point is a crazy one, to say the least. He was the 42nd overall draft pick in 2013 by the 76ers before he was traded, along with Jrue Holiday, to the New Orleans Pelicans for Nerlens Noel. Jackson then spent the entire next year in the D-League where he averaged a whopping 29.1 points per game. Last season, he was brought back to the 76ers to join its summer league team, but in the first game, he ruptured his Achilles and would go on to miss the remainder of that season.
After that injury, Jackson was unsure if he would ever get another chance with an NBA team, but it appears that he will. The deal he is reportedly signing with the 76ers is a four-year contract for the minimum amount with partial guarantees, which gives him a leg up to make the roster. This deal is a bit of a surprise in that Jackson has yet to appear in a single NBA game yet, but it's clear that they like him enough to guarantee him money.
Jackson was a very good player in his two years at Baylor, especially his final year when he averaged 19.8 points and 7.1 assists per game while making 36 percent of his threes. Clearly, by his college numbers and his numbers in his one year in the D-League, Jackson can score the ball. The knock on him is his 5'10" size. Regardless, he has found a way to score at every level.
Jackson reportedly still has some work to do to regain his explosiveness from before the injury, but he and the 76ers aren't worried about that too much. Head coach Brett Brown said he will have to earn playing time by showing he can create for his teammates because he already knows Jackson can create for himself.