Stephen Jackson wants to return to playing professional basketball, and he told ESPN's Rachel Nichols that he has talked with the Golden State Warriors about participating in their training camp. Jackson, 38, has been a regular guest on Nichols' ESPN show "The Jump" this season.
It has been a while since Jackson was a regular in the NBA. In the 2012-13 season, he was waived by the San Antonio Spurs before the playoffs started. He signed with the Los Angeles Clippers in December 2013 but was waived after just nine appearances. He did not play in 2014-15 or 2015-16.
At his best, Jackson was a long and energetic defender who could create his own shot and play both forward positions. After this long away from the game, though, it is unclear what he has to offer.
Golden State has two roster spots available, but ESPN's Tom Penn said Saturday that adviser Jerry West had told him the front office was on the verge of signing another "pretty good player." After adding Kevin Durant, the Warriors have signed Zaza Pachulia and David West and re-signed Ian Clark and James Michael McAdoo.
If Jackson doesn't end up on the team, he could still potentially be a part of the organization. ESPN's Marc Stein reported a couple of weeks ago that Golden State had interest in Jackson as a coach.
