The New Orleans Pelicans have several difficult decisions to make, including what to do with backup point guard Frank Jackson.
One of the most frustrating parts of the hiatus for the New Orleans Pelicans is not getting to see how some of their guys would have finished the season.
If the season does end up being cancelled, the Pelicans may have seen the last of free agents Derrick Favors, E’Twaun Moore, Kenrich Williams, Jahlil Okafor and Frank Jackson.
Most of these players are likely finished with the New Orleans Pelicans, but the team would have liked to see them finish out the season before making their final decisions.
This is especially true for backup point guard Jackson, who showed enough, especially towards the end of the season, to warrant a qualifying offer in free agency.
If you aren’t familiar with the term, here is a good breakdown by our friends at Sports Illustrated.
Basically, a qualifying offer, which must be made before the July deadline, keeps a player from becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Teams can offer a one year deal and the player can re-sign or sign an offer sheet with another team, which the New Orleans Pelicans would have a chance to match.
Usually teams know their low-ball offer won’t be accepted so the Q.O. can be a way to drive up the price of a player for another team.
Sometimes the player accepts, plays out their one year deal and hits unrestricted free agency.
The New Orleans Pelicans are in this situation with Jackson, who is on the final year of his rookie deal and due for pay raise or a one-way ticket to another city.
Jackson is an interesting case, as he can potentially be had on a team-friendly deal unless another team really wants his services.
This begs the question: What should the New Orleans Pelicans do with Frank Jackson?
Let Frank Jackson Go to Another Team
Jackson showed occasional flashes, especially leading up to the suspension of play, when he was getting more minutes as the Pelicans searched for a spark off the bench.
But Jackson has been largely inconsistent in his short career, as he seems to either be hitting big shots and playing great defense or turning the ball over and throwing up bricks.
The Pelicans bench unit was low-key bad this season even though they do have some quality players in the second unit.
The problem is that the second unit is full of spot up shooters like J.J. Redick and Nicolo Melli, but lacks a real playmaker.
Obviously both Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball will get run with the second team at times, but the unit needs someone who can consistently make plays, get others involved and beat people off the dribble for kick-outs to the open shooter.
Jackson did this at times, but was not nearly consistent enough, which is why he started racking up the DNP’s.
Jackson doesn’t shoot the ball particularly well, hitting just 32.5 percent from 3-point range, nor does he distribute it particularly well, averaging less than an assist per game in 12.9 minutes.
The New Orleans Pelicans need a lot more out of a backup point guard than 5.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and .8 assists, all numbers that went down in Jackson’s second year.
Even though he’d be a cheap option, there are plenty of veteran backup point guards who can do a better job of running the second unit, which would give the New Orleans Pelicans a chance to manage Holiday and Ball’s minutes more effectively.
The New Orleans Pelicans are a young team and need some veteran leadership, especially if Favors leaves in free agency.
They should find a backup point guard who has the experience to run an offense so that the Pelicans aren’t constantly coughing up big leads like they have all season.
The New Orleans Pelicans will likely make the qualifying offer, but if another team beats it, they should let Jackson walk and look elsewhere.
Unless they shouldn’t.
The New Orleans Pelicans Should Re-sign Frank Jackson
The qualifying offer for Frank Jackson currently stands at $2.02 million, which is basically Michael Carter-Williams money, a good deal for a guy with Jackson’s potential.
The New Orleans Pelicans are going to need a backup point guard either way, and it would be foolish to waste cap space on a veteran when they can get similar production from a guy already on the team.
Jackson is still just 21-years-old and plays the toughest position in the NBA, which means he is likely to get better.
The Pelicans could go out and make a splash in free agency or a trade, but Jackson could outplay the guy they sign if he is given the minutes on another team.
If the Pelicans signed a guy like D.J. Augustin and had to pay $5-7 million for him, would it the upgrade be worth it?
The Pelicans also need a defensive wing and another center, needs that probably outweigh a backup point guard, especially at that price.
If Jackson improves, paying $2 million for him would be a steal.
The Pelicans can hope shot doctor Fred Vinson can work his magic on Jackson and get his 3-point shot closer to 40 percent, which would make him more effective in half court sets, as teams would not be able to just back off like they do now.
Jackson has also flashed signs of being a good defender, averaging nearly a steal per game in less than 13 minutes.
His handles and penetration are getting better, so if his 3-point shot and defense improve, Jackson would be an ideal backup.
The problem is that other teams have probably noticed this too and someone is almost certain to offer Jackson more than the qualifying offer.
If so, the New Orleans Pelicans should probably just walk away, as they don’t want to get into a bidding war for a third point guard.
But if the offer is reasonably close to the qualifying offer, then the New Orleans Pelicans should just re-sign Jackson and tick off one of their offseason boxes at a discount.
The Verdict
There are compelling reasons to let Jackson walk, and there are good reasons for keeping him. It really just comes down to how much another team is willing to pay for his services.
If the Pelicans can get Jackson at or near the qualifying offer, or lock him up to a team-friendly long-term deal, then they should, as he has shown enough potential to warrant a chance.
If some other team wants to bet on this potential and pay Jackson way more, then you wish him good luck and send him on his way.
The Pelicans will have some tough decisions to make this summer but Jackson should be a no-brainer. If you can get him cheap, keep him, if not, let him walk and find a veteran.
Thanks for reading and stay safe out there!