The Detroit Pistons beat the Milwaukee Bucks for the first time in 17 games, and they did it without leading scorer Jerami Grant.
Grant has been the subject of trade rumors for weeks, even after going out with a thumb injury, and many think he’ll be one of the hottest commodities at the trade deadline.
I have been on the fence about trading Jerami Grant, as I really love his attitude, the way he plays and the fact that he chose to come to Detroit, a city that doesn’t lure a lot of free agents.
Grant has bought into the Pistons’ rebuild and been a solid veteran presence who has said and done all of the right things since joining the Detroit Pistons.
There are pros and cons of signing him to a long-term deal, but after the last 10 games without him, it seems almost inevitable that a trade is coming.
Here are some of the reasons that a Jerami Grant trade is probably happening.
Saddiq Bey and Hamidou Diallo have played well without Jerami Grant
It’s hard to ignore what Saddiq Bey and Hamidou Diallo have been doing for the Detroit Pistons over the last ten games.
Bey is playing like an All-Star, and Diallo adds an element of rebounding and athleticism that Jerami Grant does not.
Bey has been thriving playing at power forward, which might be his natural position and Diallo has given the Pistons a spark that they didn’t have early in the season when he was on the bench.
Both of these players had slow starts to the season but have blown up with increased reps and opportunity, which they are not going to get with Jerami Grant in the lineup.
Earlier in the season, trading Grant seemed like the Pistons would be giving up one of their only real NBA players, but the way Bey and Diallo are playing, Detroit should feel a lot more comfortable moving forward.
I don’t think this play is a fluke, as things have opened up for the Pistons over the last 10 games.