NBA Rumors: Mason Plumlee Traded to Clippers from Hornets for Reggie Jackson

The Los Angeles Clippers are adding more depth to their roster ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers are trading Reggie Jackson to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Mason Plumlee.

Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times reported the Clippers are also sending a 2028 second-round draft pick to Charlotte in the deal.

The deal for Plumlee came after Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Clippers were also finalizing a trade to acquire Eric Gordon from the Houston Rockets.

Depth at center was an area of need for the Clippers. Ivica Zubac has given them excellent production in a starting role with 10.2 points and 10.3 rebounds, but he was the only true center they had before this trade.

Robert Covington and Nicolas Batum have played at the position when Zubac rests. They are undersized at the five and have historically played better at power forward.

Plumlee has more traditional center size at 6’11” and 254 pounds. He’s having the most productive season of his career with 12.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. His 3.34 offensive rebounds per game is the fifth-best mark in the NBA this season, two spots behind Zubac at 3.39.

The Clippers rank 16th in offensive rebound rate overall. The combination of Zubac and Plumlee can create additional scoring opportunities because of their prowess on the offensive glass.

Several teams in the Western Conference got better ahead of the trade deadline. The Phoenix Suns made the biggest splash by acquiring Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets. The Dallas Mavericks added Kyrie Irving. The Los Angeles Lakers brought in Malik Beasley, D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Mo Bamba.

Gordon is returning to the team that originally drafted him in 2007. He will provide instant offense to a Clippers squad that ranks 23rd in offensive rating and 28th in points per game. The 34-year-old is averaging 13.1 points per game this season and is a career 36.9 percent shooter from three-point range.

If the Clippers wanted to stay in the race with other top-tier teams in the conference, they had to do something. Gordon’s scoring and Plumlee’s rebounding makes them significantly better than they were when the day started.