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Report: Magic have discussed trade to acquire Pistons' Jackson

USA Today Sports

The Orlando Magic have discussed a trade that would see them acquire Detroit Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson in exchange for D.J. Augustin and Jeff Green, sources told ESPN's Marc Stein.

It's unclear if there have been any serious negotiations or if the talks have advanced past the preliminary stage, Stein reports. What does seem clear is the Pistons appear motivated to move him, even for a potentially underwhelming return.

After enjoying a career year in 2015-16, his first full season as a Piston, things have turned a bit sour for Jackson this year. He missed the first 21 games of the season with knee tendinitis, and has yet to really recover his rhythm since returning. He's averaging 15.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, with a 52.3 percent true-shooting mark and a 15.7 PER, down from 18.8, 6.2, 53.5, and 19.6 a year ago.

When they struggled after he rejoined the rotation, the Pistons - and specifically head coach Stan Van Gundy - cited Jackson's ball-dominance as an issue. Jackson later referred to Van Gundy's coaching style as "a lot of yelling" and said he'd learned to "tune the little words out." He also called the Pistons' defense "a joke."

Jackson, who owns the worst individual defensive rating on the team, hasn't helped in that regard, and on offense hasn't quite found the same pick-and-roll chemistry he developed with Andre Drummond last season. That pairing has been a disaster this season on both sides of the ball, with the Pistons getting outscored by 7.1 points per 100 possessions when they share the floor, and the team has reportedly been exploring the trade market for both players with the deadline approaching.

The Pistons overall have been 9.6 points per 100 worse when Jackson is on the floor, and they've recently taken to closing some games with Ish Smith at the point.

The Magic, meanwhile, have long been in search of a point guard upgrade, as they appear unconvinced of Elfrid Payton's long-term viability as a starter, and reportedly inquired about Goran Dragic earlier this season. Jackson is locked up on a reasonably palatable contract through the 2019-2020 season, while Green is on an expiring deal.

Augustin is signed for the same amount of time but for less than half Jackson's salary, while Green, who is making $15 million this season, would provide salary relief for the Pistons.

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