Pistons: A Proposed Jerami Grant trade to Memphis that makes sense

Detroit Pistons: Jaren Jackson Jr. is a young star who fits the timeline of Troy Weaver’s rebuild

Jackson Jr. is the headliner for the return the Detroit Pistons would get in this trade proposal. The 21-year-old big man out of Michigan State can play at either the power forward or center positions. Jackson Jr. stands at 6-11 and is the prototypical build for the modern big man in today’s NBA.

Jackson Jr. is a solid player on the defensive end of the court. He boasts a career defensive rating of 108 and averages 1.5 blocks per game for his career. The Michigan State product has the size to protect the paint against driving guards and slashing wing players, and he has the mobility to hold his own when he steps out to defend on the perimeter.

On the offensive end, Jackson Jr. can score from all three levels of the court. For his career, Jackson Jr. shoots 71.8 percent at the rim, over 41 percent between three to16 feet from the basket, and 37.4 percent from beyond the arc. As a threat to score from anywhere in the halfcourt, the big man could assert himself as one of Detroit’s leading scorers immediately.

Jackson Jr.’s ability to shoot from long range would also help a Detroit offense that severely struggled to shoot the basketball. Detroit was 22nd in the NBA in three-point makes and three-point percentage last season.

Age is another reason this trade makes sense for the Pistons. Grant is a 27-year-old while Jackson Jr. is a 21-year-old. By the time the Pistons are ready to truly compete for a championship, Grant will likely be in his 30s. Jackson Jr., on the other hand, would just be entering the prime of his career. In terms of the rebuild’s timeline, Jackson Jr. fits much better than Grant does.

While the 21-year-old posesses great potential, there are reasons to be skeptical of a potential Jackson Jr. trade.

The 21-year-old has a history of injuries in his young NBA career. The big man has played in just 126 out of a possible 228 games in his first three years. Most recently, Jackson Jr. suffered a torn meniscus in the Bubble last season. Jackson only played 11 games at the end of the 2020-21 regular season. In those games, the big man put up 14.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game. The 21-year-old’s injury concerns would be the number one reason Memphis would look to move on from him. Those same concerns could be enough to disinterest the Pistons front office as well, but the big man’s immense potential makes him a hard player to give up on despite his injury history.

If Jackson Jr. could stay healthy, he would be an amazing player to bring to Detroit. Losing Grant would be a huge blow to the team in the short term, but the long-term potential of Jackson Jr. paired with the number one pick in this year’s draft class would be enough to garner serious consideration.

The big man is entering the final year of his rookie contract. While Detroit would not be able to resign the 21-year-old to a team-friendly contract, his injury history is likely enough to prevent him from getting a max extension. Ultimately Jackson Jr.’s next contract would likely be a middle ground between the two.

Jackson Jr. may be the headliner for Detroit’s return in this trade, but Winslow and the 17th overall pick would be great additions too.

Winslow would be a solid point forward off the bench who can make plays for his teammates and put in a strong effort on the defensive end as well. His struggles to efficiently shoot in the last two seasons are concerning. Winslow’s contract ends after the 2021-22 season, so if his struggles continue, his money will be off the books by the 2022 offseason.

With the addition of the 17th overall pick, the Pistons would have a second first-rounder to pair with their first overall pick. After the 2020 NBA Draft, Weaver has shown he has an eye for talent outside of the Lottery. With pick numbers 16 and 19 last year, the GM selected Isaiah Stewart and Saddiq Bey respectively. Both players would go on to be named to the NBA’s All-Rookie teams.

With the 17th pick, Weaver could draft a young prospect to add to the mix or trade down and accrue future draft capital in the process as well.

If this trade were to go from the artificial to a genuine proposal by the Grizzlies, Detroit’s interest would ultimately rest in how confident they are in Jackson Jr.’s ability to stay healthy. If Weaver were to believe the big man could stay healthy moving forward, he would seriously consider pulling the trigger on the trade. If the 21-year-old’s injury concerns were too serious, the GM would most likely steer clear of the trade.