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?
Detroit Pistons: Possible Jerami Grant trade to the Trail Blazers
This is the only trade that makes sense for both teams and meets the financial requirements. The question is whether either team would be interested:
In this trade, the Trail Blazers get back a versatile defender who would be a big upgrade from Covington on the offensive end.
Grant could take some of the scoring pressure off Lillard and would push Larry Nance to the bench, strengthening their second unit.
A starting five of Lillard, McCollum (if he returns), Norman Powell, Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic is a group the Trail Blazers could go to war with in the playoffs.
The Pistons get an expiring in Covington (whose money is necessary in this deal), a 22-year-old guard who shoots 38.7 percent from long range and has upside, and the Trail Blazers 2023 first-round pick.
On paper this deal makes some sense for both teams, but it does come with some risk for both as well.
Risks of trading for Jerami Grant for the Trail Blazers
For the Trail Blazers, this would be an all-in type of move, as they’d be taking on an extra year of Grant’s salary, giving up a pick and one of the only young players they have.
They’d probably rather include Nassir Little, but I can’t see the Detroit Pistons jumping at that, and remember, the Pistons have the leverage here, as they don’t have to trade Grant at all, so can hold out for the best deal.
Would Grant be enough to push the Trail Blazers into contention? If not, they are stuck with this group again next season with no easy way to improve other than trading one of their starting guards.
Considering both Lillard and McCollum are on the wrong side of 30, the return might not be enough, so this would truly be the last throes of a roster on the downturn.
Risks for the Detroit Pistons
Robert Covington and Anfernee Simons are both on expiring deals, so the Pistons would be risking getting nothing more than a first-round pick if Simons decided to go elsewhere.
The Pistons likely wouldn’t care much about Covington, though they could use another solid veteran and would have the rights of first refusal for Simons if they determined him to be a fit.
The pick won’t likely be a high one, so if Simons decided to join another team in restricted free agency, the Pistons would get nothing more than a pick in the 20’s for Jerami Grant, which isn’t enough to move the needle or excite anyone.
Even if Simons stayed, is he enough? Is he even a fit?
I think the Detroit Pistons can do better, and would be smart to try and get at least one NBA player back whose deal extends beyond this season. So while this Jerami Grant trade rumor may seem ok on the surface, the Pistons should keep shopping.