Reggie Jackson awkwardly addresses trade request report

It was an eventful day at Thunder practice on Tuesday. As Kevin Durant spoke with reporters covering a lot of stuff, Reggie Jackson was out on the practice court, taking shots by himself, when the report popped up on Twitter. Per Adrian Wojnarowski, Jackson’s agent had put in a trade request to the Thunder’s front office.

CAA’s Aaron Mintz made the request in the past seven to 10 days, and several teams around the league became aware as officials probed for information on potentially dealing for Jackson, league sources said.

Jackson, 24, has made it clear to the Thunder that he would be resistant to returning to the franchise should it keep him for the rest of the season and then decide to match an offer sheet in restricted free agency this summer. Presti has made no commitment to moving Jackson, but has been willing to gauge the market and listen to pitches on potential deals as always, sources said.

Before the story had dropped, Jackson had been requested for an interview today. I fully expected him to have to have “treatment” on his hamstring or something and skip out on it. But Jackson walked over, and answered, sort of, every question. Here’s his session with reporters today (the first couple questions are about the Mavericks and whatever, so I cut those):

There’s a report, I guess, that your agent’s asked for a trade. Do you know anything about that?

“Nah, uh, like I said, just mentally getting ready for tomorrow. I’m not sure about that.”

He wouldn’t communicate with you?

“Nah, we would communicate.”

Do you expect to be here tomorrow night, playing in the Mavs game?

“Um, I expect to live today to the fullest and if God blesses me hopefully I wake up tomorrow.”

Do you want to be here tomorrow?

“I would love to play basketball.”

Do you want to be here in Oklahoma City playing for the Thunder?

“I would love to play basketball.”

So I take that as a no?

“You take it as what you want, man. I just want to play basketball to the best of my ability.”

Well how are you handling these next few hours leading up to the trade deadline, with a lot of talk that you might be traded, some that you might stay here? What’s going through your mind dealing with all this?

“What’s going through my mind is preparing for the Mavericks. That’s’ about it.”

Reggie, do you feel like a trade would benefit all parties involved at this point?

“I’m not a fortune teller. I can’t predict down the line what will happen. I’m just trying to prepare to the best of my ability for the Mavericks. Like I said, if God blesses me to wake up tomorrow I’ll be very fortunate and go out there and try to compete.”

Has the speculation made this a tougher year for you?

“Nah, not really. I don’t really listen good or bad that much anyway. I kind of try to drown you out and just play basketball.”

Regardless of what happens, if you’re somewhere else tomorrow, if you’re here, do you feel like a burden will be lifted where you know where you will be for sure the rest of the season?

“Uh, yeah, that will be a good feeling. Once the deadline hits to know where you’re at and just go out there and compete to the best of your ability.”

At this point in the season, do you like the way you’ve been playing? Do you see yourself being able to take your game to another level the rest of this year?

“I try to put together a string of good games. I’ve been playing as aggressive as I can in what the minutes allow. I’ve just been trying to do my best. Everybody knows the shooting percentage hasn’t necessarily been the greatest. But I continue to just try to find spots to be aggressive, get teammates open when guys collapse and hopefully just get some shots to fall.”

I just want to make sure I have this right.  So your agent requested a trade, according to a report and you said you don’t know anything about that. So did you not communicate with your agent about that?

“Nah, I talked to my agent. But I don’t know where these reports are from.”

I think your agent was on record saying it.

“That’s what’s up.”

Reggie, what’s it like to be in this position now? You know what type of team you play for, you know sort of where your minutes come from and if you are traded you might not have any control over what team you go to or what your role’s going to be then. Just what’s that uncertainty like in this moment leading up to the deadline?

“Just certain that the Oklahoma City Thunder play the Dallas Mavericks tomorrow. So if I’m still wearing the blue, just try to figure out a way to get a win.”

If you don’t get traded, do you feel like this could damage your relationship with your teammates going forward?

“No. I mean, we laugh, we joke, we kid and we’re trying to figure out ways to get into this playoffs.”

And if you don’t get traded, do you feel like you can bounce back and have the type of season that we’re accustomed to seeing from you, the shooting percentage the decision-making, things like that on the court? You can put this all behind you and just really bounce back and help this team get to where it wants to go?

“Um, bounce back from what? I just haven’t been playing well. That’s all it comes down to. I don’t think speculation’s really felt like a burden on me. I’m just playing. I necessarily haven’t had shots to fall. I haven’t played to the best of my ability. The next game I play I just want to be the best I can that day.”

Do you feel that the reason that you’re not playing to the best of your ability has nothing to do with the trade rumors or anything like that, just you not being able to get into your game?

“Yeah. It’s me. Got to be aggressive. Find ways to be effective in the time that I’m allotted to play.”

What have you learned about the business of basketball throughout all this?

“It’s a business.”

What specifically?

“Anything can happen.”