The Charlotte Hornets appear to be interested in Duke Blue Devils’ guard Frank Jackson. According to college basketball writer Adam Zagoria of SB Nation, Jackson told him the Hornets are one of at least eight ball clubs that interviewed him during the NBA Combine in Chicago.
Action Jackson in Queen City
This isn’t the first time Michael Jordan’s team showed interest in a prospect who played for North Carolina’s rival team, Duke. Several years ago, the UNC basketball legend drafted Blue Devils’ star player Gerald Henderson with a 12th pick in the 2009 Draft.
This year, Jordan and general manager Rich Cho is eyeing another Duke product in 6-foot-3 Jackson.
The 19-year old Jackson averaged 10.9 points on 47 percent shooting and 39 percent from beyond the 3-point line in 24 minutes per game for the Blue Devils. He’s one of two high-profile Duke freshman standouts – the other is wingman Jason Tatum – who already entered a name into the 2017 NBA Draft.
Aside from the Hornets, Zogoria mentioned the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks as potential takers for the fleet-footed guard.
CBS Sports writer Matt Norlander considers Jackson’s entry in this year’s draft a bit surprising, considering the fact that wasn’t ranked highly on the draft board several weeks ago.
However, after a solid showing at the combine and interviews, the player’s draft stock has improved significantly. Norlander even believes it’s no longer impossible for Jackson to be picked in the first-round of the draft.
“He's not projected as a first-round pick, but it's not out of the question that he could move into that area.
Jackson will sign with BDA Sports Management, run by NBA agent Bill Duffy,” writes Norlander, who thinks Jackson’s decision to enter the NBA Draft stemmed from Duke’s interest in landing the no.1 point guard in 2017 class – Trevon Duval.
MJ’s mission: luring Blake to Charlotte
Although Jordan is no longer the top decision-maker for the Hornets, the basketball icon still has the power to change the free-agency landscape this summer.
Tate Frazier of the Ringer believes Jordan has the ability to convince All-Star power forward Blake Griffin play in Charlotte with the Jordan Brand as the big talking point.
According to Frazier, Jordan can simply sweet talk his way to landing an automatic double-double guy like Griffin by making him the face of the ‘Jordan Brand.’ Of course, the Hornets don’t have the cap space (w/ $102 million in guaranteed salaries for next season) to absorb Griffin’s max-level contract.
However, they indeed have the ability to create room by trading Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Marvin Williams and possibly Mason Plumlee. Griffin, who averaged 21.5 points and 9.1 boards in his career, can exercise early termination on his contract with LA Clippers and hit the free-agency market this off-season.
