Duke basketball point guard Frank Jackson is ready to prove that he’s a starter in the NBA.
Potential has always been there for Frank Jackson, but the former Duke basketball point guard has not always been put in the proper position to succeed.
After two seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, the franchise that drafted him in the 2017 NBA Draft, Jackson has left the Bayou and is headed to Oklahoma City as a free agent.
In his career with the Pelicans, Jackson averaged 7.2 points, 1.1 assists, and 1.8 rebounds per game, but his best season came as a rookie where he averaged 8.1 points per game in 61 contests.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the deal between the two sides.
ALSO READ: Another Duke standout sees major influx of cash
Jackson sat out of the 2017-18 season because of a foot injury, but in his most recent season, he played in 59 games, averaging 6.3 points per game.
Despite making a push to the playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder have officially pushed the reset button within the organization, trading all of its valuable assets for draft compensation, specifically All-Star point guard Chris Paul.
New Orleans never gave the Duke basketball product a chance
When given the opportunity to play, Jackson was very productive for the Pelicans, but much like former Duke product Jahlil Okafor, head coach Alvin Gentry didn’t want to put his reserve guard on the floor for extended minutes.
The guard position in New Orleans only became more crowded after the Pelicans dealt Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers and saw Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart join the franchise in return.
ALSO READ: Duke superstar sees major payday with max contract extension
However, the Thunder also have a crowded backcourt, but with young players throughout its roster, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, George Hill, Ty Jerome, and Theo Maledon.
As a quick, explosive guard, Frank Jackson is now ready to prove that he can be a starting point guard in the NBA and show his former team that they made a mistake not retaining him and believing in him.