Jimmy Jackson may not be a fan of the New Orleans Hornets, but he appears to be loving his new home out in Arizona.

Jackson refused to report to the Hornets after being traded from Houston on December 26 because he wanted to play for a contender, and even though he forfeited $302,000 for the games he missed he believes he now resides on fits into that category.

"They have as good a chance as anybody," Jackson said before suiting up for the Suns' game against the New Jersey Nets on Sunday night. "The key is going to be consistency the second part of the season. A lot of teams start out great, but you want to be playing your best basketball in March and April."

Jackson said the forfeited money was worth it if he plays for a top-tier team.

"It's like anything you do in life. You make an investment and you take a chance and hope that it will pay off in the long term," he said. "I was thinking long-term as far as the rest of my career, being in the twilight of my career, being a part of something special."

Phoenix will be Jackson's 12th team in 13 NBA seasons.