Stephen Jackson on Scott Skiles: ‘We Don’t Have No Relationship’

The cold war between Stephen Jackson and his coach Scott Skiles continues to quietly rage on in Milwaukee, as the Bucks pray that they can find a trade partner prior to the deadline for the disgruntled forward. From the Journal Times: “After Stephen Jackson was benched for the second half of a game against Denver Jan. 17, I asked the Bucks veteran swingman whether he had any inkling Bucks coach Scott Skiles was going to do that. Jackson said he didn’t get any advance warning and he didn’t get any explanation after the game, either. It was abundantly clear even then that Jackson, whom the Bucks acquired from Charlotte last June and was expected to be a key piece to the Bucks’ puzzle this season, wasn’t on the same page with Skiles. Now, a month later, Jackson’s relationship with Skiles seemingly has disintegrated. In an interview with Rod Burks of Channel 4 (NBC) in Milwaukee, Jackson said: ‘We don’t have no relationship like I’ve had with other coaches and I don’t expect to have one. Too much stuff has happened.’ Considering the strained relationship and Jackson’s limited playing time and productivity, it’s a given the Bucks will try to unload Jackson before the March 15 trading deadline. That won’t be easy, though. Jackson is being paid $9.2 million this season and is guaranteed $10 million next season. That’s a lot of money for a 33-year-old reserve player. Yet, there are some NBA officials who believe Jackson could be traded if he was part of a package, perhaps with talented young forward Irsan Ilyasova or perhaps with talented young point guard Brandon Jennings.”