Halo

Pierre Jackson has been buried away throughout the 2013-14 season, left to put up points in bunches for the D-League's Idaho Stampede.

Now, he'll get even less exposure than before if he's not moved by the New Orleans Pelicans, who own his rights thanks to the No. 42 pick in the 2013 NBA draft. According to ESPN's Marc Stein, Jackson has a deal in place with Fenerbahce Ulker, a professional team in Turkey, if he doesn't end up in the Association by the trade deadline:



Sportando.net reveals that it's a road similar to one he has been down before, though the team is different:

The American guard is expected Friday in istanbul, Turkey to join his new team (Bo McCalebb and Linas Kleiza play for the Turkish powerhouse).

Jackson signed with ASVEL Villeurbanne last summer leaving the team due to 'homesick', according to head coach of the French team.

There's no telling whether Jackson would experience homesickness once more, but at least he'd be playing for one of the premier teams in Europe. In addition to Bo McCalebb and Linas Kleiza, Bojan Bogdanovic—a member of the Brooklyn Nets roster—is also on the Fenerbahce roster.

According to RealGM.com, the team has gone 14-4 thus far after a win over Besiktas, and it currently sits at No. 2 in the Turkish TBL standings.

Jackson would only help, assuming he continues playing like he has in the D-League.

Littering his game log with 40- and 50-point outings, the diminutive floor general has earned rave reviews all season long, like this one from CBS Sports' Matt Moore:

It would be a waste of a talent for Jackson not to get a shot in the NBA, but at least the D-League has provided him a place to showcase his talents. Jackson's a D-League All-Star. His selection was a no-brainer, as Jackson is averaging 29.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game for Idaho. Last month, he broke the NBA D-League scoring record with 58 points. I don't care what league you're playing in, dropping 58 is insane.

It would be more than a waste of talent; it would be a flat-out travesty.

"(Europe's) on the back of my mind," the former Baylor standout told Moore during the All-Star festivities in New Orleans. "My family needs the money. I need to provide for my family so whatever I have to do, I'll have to."

There's still time for him to find his way onto a big league roster, but the clock is ticking. When it hits 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 20, the trade deadline will have struck midnight, thereby ending Jackson's NBA dreams for the time being.

Cross your fingers, everyone.

Read more New Orleans Pelicans news on BleacherReport.com



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