HANGTIME HEADQUARTERS — Brandon Jennings and Scott Skiles reunited?
It seems a bit strange after all of these years and the rumored head-knocking that went on between the younger Jennings when he played under Skiles for the Milwaukee Bucks. But it makes sense now with Jennings coming back from injury in search of a starter’s role and Skiles in need of a steady, veteran hand at point guard as he tries to push the Orlando Magic to the next level.
The Pistons, who are set at point guard with Reggie Jackson, will send Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova to Orlando for Tobias Harris, which was first reported by Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops. In a sea of trade madness that always accompanies Thursday’s trade deadline, this is a deal that appears to work for all involved.
In Harris the Pistons get the versatile young big man who can work on both ends. The Magic get a capable role player in Ilyasova and a seasoned floor leader in Jennings, both with experience playing under Skiles from their time in Milwaukee.
Jennings said all of the right things as he returned from missing nearly a year after rupturing his Achilles last January. He’s averaging a career-low 6.8 points in the final season of his current deal in a limited role, one that should expand dramatically in Orlando.
What this means for second-year Magic point guard Elfrid Payton is unclear. He’s had his struggles but is certainly not a lost cause this early in his career. If nothing else, Jennings provides some insurance for the remainder of this season and possibly into the future, depending on how things progress the rest of this season.
With Jackson clearly the future at the position in Detroit, the career reset could be exactly what Jennings needs. The chance to showcase himself in Detroit would have been difficult with limited minutes, while the situation in Orlando is wide open.
