The Detroit Pistons are reportedly getting a lot of calls about a Jerami Grant trade, and one of the teams on the phone is the Portland Trail Blazers.
According to Shams Charania of the Athletic (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED):
"“Jerami Grant is one of the most sought-after players in a potential trade, with the Lakers and Trail Blazers among the teams pursuing the Pistons’ versatile forward, sources said… Dozens of teams call the Detroit front office about Grant each week, and sources said the team is open to a possible deal.”"
I have long held that the Detroit Pistons might be better off keeping Jerami Grant, as he is a solid veteran whose versatility fits in with any lineup and he actually wants to be in Detroit.
However, if “dozens” of teams are interested in Grant at the deadline, then it makes sense for the Pistons to move him now, especially if they don’t like his long-term fit with Cade Cunningham and the rest of the young core.
The team has played better offensively without Jerami Grant so far, but their defense has suffered, so it’s hard to evaluate the impact of his absence with such a small sample size.
But if the Trail Blazers were interested in a deal, they might have the pieces to get it done.
The Portland Trail Blazers are a at a crossroads, so the Jerami Grant trade rumors make sense
The Trail Blazers are currently 13-18, good for 10th in the Western Conference, so they are clearly underachieving for a team that had Finals aspirations coming into the season.
The Damian Lillard/CJ McCollum pairing has probably run its course, and Lillard is looking for a record extension, so if the Blazers want to blow it up, now seems like a good time.
Their other choice is to go for it now, as they have a collection of veterans who are ready to win and adding Jerami Grant might be enough to push them up the standings.
McCollum is still out indefinitely, so if Portland wants to have a chance, they need to add talent. If McCollum does come back, they could potentially have a six-man group that was very competitive in the West.
So what would a trade look like? The Detroit Pistons would love to get back an expiring deal, a young, but proven NBA player and a pick. Would the Trail Blazers give up all of that for Jerami Grant?