With the news that Thanasis Antetokounmpo has signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, likely keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo in town, more moves will have to be made. The Bucks have too many players on their roster, and Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints speculated that Andre Jackson Jr. could be someone on the chopping block. If that becomes the case, the Boston Celtics should show interest.
“Maybe the team looks to trade Smith, but the obvious answer and the most practical to save money revolves around Andre Jackson Jr… While the team has believed in his potential, the 23-year-old was on the trade block before last season's trade deadline, league sources told ClutchPoints,” Siegel wrote. “The Bucks were seeking two second-round picks in a trade for Jackson, but they never received an offer including more than one second-round pick.”
Though the Celtics don’t have a ton of roster flexibility, Jackson should still be someone they keep an eye on.
Why should Celtics want Andre Jackson Jr.?
Though he hasn’t been able to break into Doc Rivers’ rotation consistently, Jackson has still shown flashes of NBA-level skills. And at just 23 years old, that’s enough to warrant a closer look for teams around the league.
The 6-foot-6 guard is a freak athlete and tenacious defender, making life annoying for any ball-handler who sits in his way. This past season, he appeared in 67 games for the Bucks, playing 14.6 minutes per contest.
Jackson’s biggest drawback is his lack of a consistent three-point shot. He shot 39.6% from deep this past season, but only took 1.1 threes per game. That said, his defense is solid enough to the point where it masks his three-point struggles.
He’s made his offensive game work by cutting off the ball, but he’s still fairly raw on both sides of the ball, occasionally making silly mistakes.
How could the Celtics get Andre Jackson Jr.?
This is where the problem lies. Jackson’s defense should pique the Celtics’ interest, but actually bringing him on board would pose an issue, as they don’t really have the space for him.
Barring an Anfernee Simons trade, which seems unlikely this close to training camp, the Celtics have 14 players on their roster, and because of their financial problems, they probably won’t add a 15th.
That means, if they wanted to bring Jackson on board, should the Bucks let him go, they would have to make some roster decisions of their own.
Still, Jackson’s athleticism, defense, and tenacity should definitely put him on Boston’s radar if the Bucks part ways with the UConn product. And perhaps his potential would be enough to force the Celtics into making some rough roster decisions.