Reggie Jackson thanked the Clippers for saving him.
He also saved them plenty on the court in the playoffs, scoring 18 points per game while shooting 58% on 2-pointers, 41% on 3-pointers and 88% on free throws.
Now, L.A. is rewarding him with a nice new contract.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Free agent G Reggie Jackson plans to sign a two-year, $22M deal to return to the Los Angeles Clippers as soon as allowable at 6 PM ET, agents Aaron Mintz and Erika Ruiz of @CAA_Basketball tell ESPN. The deal is the maximum LA can pay Jackson under CBA rules.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 6, 2021
This is the most the Clippers can pay Jackson on a two-year contract through Early Bird Rights ($10,384,500 next season and $11,215,260 the following year). However, they could have offered a third ($12,046,020) or even fourth ($12,876,780) season.
But considering the 31-year-old’s health history, that would have been risky.
Still, this is a sizable outlay. Beyond Jackson’s salary, this pushes the Clippers’ luxury-tax liability from $54 million to $91 million – assuming Kawhi Leonard re-signs for the max.
L.A.'s big spending is among the reasons Leonard is expected to stay. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer gives his team a competitive advantage.
The Clippers still have the taxpayer mid-level exception if they want to spend even more.