Jerami Grant is the Detroit Pistons most talked-about trade piece, and with his contract expiring next season, there has been a lot of discussion about his future. Reading between the lines of general manager Troy Weaver’s recent press conference, do not be shocked if he is still with the Pistons next season.
If you watched the Disney+ documentary on the Beatles ‘Let it Be’, the final scene shows them playing a concert on the roof of their office building. At the end, John Lennon quips: “Did we pass the audition?”
Although no one outside of Pistons management knew it, Jerami Grant was sort of auditioning for a role on next season’s Pistons squad. He did pass his audition with flying colors, which makes the off-season even more interesting.
While there are a bunch of important decisions to be made this summer, the biggest one involving current players might be Grant. The three-year, $60 million deal that general manager Troy Weaver was excoriated for, at the time, now seen as a bargain, expires following next year. Grant is eligible for an extension this off-season, potentially as big as four years and $112 million.
When Grant signed with the Pistons in 2020, they did not have much else to hang their hat on, except injury-ravaged Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose, and they were both gone within a few months. Grant happily put up a lot of shots, because there really was no one else to do it. Many Pistons games ended with Grant being basically tossed the ball and told to ‘do something’, because Detroit had no other options.
However, things are different now.
Cade Cunningham is the acknowledged guy with the ball in his hands at the end of games, and he does well at it, leading rookies in clutch points (take that Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes!). Saddiq Bey has turned into an all-around scoring threat, not just a three-point shooter. Newly acquired Marvin Bagley III gives Detroit a low-post threat they have not had since Andre Drummond. The Pistons have more scoring options than simply giving the ball to Grant and hoping he could create something.
For a team with not a lot of draft capital, moving Grant could be seen as a smart move, as there are now players able to step into his position. However, if a team is looking to make the playoffs next year, as the Pistons hope to, Grant is the kind of player you want on your roster.
What really can the Detroit Pistons do with Jerami Grant?
The Pistons basically have three options with Jerami Grant:
- Let him play out his contract and take the salary cap savings next year.
- Extend him and make him part of Detroit’s future core,
- Trade him and get some valuable assets in return
In his post-season press conference, general manager Troy Weaver, if you read between the lines, left some valuable clues about Grant’s future with the club.
Before going into detail, two things must be factored in:
- Grant and Weaver are pretty tight. They are both from the Washington D.C. area and were also together with the Thunder. Weaver will put the club’s interest first, but Grant’s feelings will be accounted for.
- Unlike many other standouts, Grant has no desire to leave Detroit. He left a team that just made the Western Conference finals to sign with the Pistons. He would be quite happy, if the price was right, to stay right where he is, so there is no outside pressure on Weaver to deal him.
As for the ‘audition’, Weaver said he wanted to see how Grant fit in with Cunningham as, due to injuries, they never really had played together until the end. Grant was used to launching a shot every time he got the ball, but now he had to play within a structure.
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It turned out, Grant thrived. He actually averaged more points (20.1) then his season average (19.2) in those 15 games with Cunningham. That got Weaver’s attention:
"“Coach (Dwane Casey) and I talked with him about playing a more efficient game, and he did it. To his credit, he really started to play more efficiently, choose his spots,” said Weaver, according to Omari Sankofa II. “Coach had the group sharing the ball, looking for each other. But I was extremely impressed and proud of the way Jerami bounced back after the injury, after All-Star break and the way he was able to find his way back with the group.”"
Weaver says after watching Cunningham and Grant play so well together, he may not be very fired up about getting rid of Grant. After all, fitting in with Cunningham is basically the No. 1 factor in being with the Pistons for the near future.
"“Jerami demonstrated his efficiency in the way he fit with the group,” said Weaver ” I’m curious. I’m not sure (about trading Grant).”"
Of course, Weaver just could have been blowing smoke, hoping to pump up Grant’s trade value, and let other team’s think he is happy to keep him. However, his other comments kind of belie that.
If trying to trade a player, to stir up interest, you talk about how there are a bunch of teams after him. However, Weaver actually did the opposite.
Weaver looking ahead to contract talks with Grant?
For all the talk about Jerami Grant being traded at the February NBA trade deadline, Weaver said it was more like teams had their ‘feelers out,’ which is a lot different than being swamped with solid offers. Weaver said nothing he heard ‘blew him away’, which is also an important phrase.
It means Weaver was not looking to dump Grant for whatever he could get, he wanted a ‘Godfather’ type offer to consider sending Grant away.
Another interesting tidbit came when Weaver was asked about the prospects of dealing Grant this summer. With Detroit having a good chance at drafting a power forward or center, Grant could become a luxury. (h/t Omari Sankofa II for quotes):
"“Maybe something comes down the pipe. We’ll see.,” said Weaver of future trade possibilities of Grant. “”I don’t anticipate it being an avalanche. After the playoffs, some teams will feel like we can add a player or two, and maybe the phone rings a little more. I’m not sure. The landscape of the NBA changes weekly.”"
Weaver saying he “… does not anticipate it being an avalanche” of interest in Grant speaks volumes. Maybe the reports of Grant being traded at the deadline were more media driven than actual phone calls to Weaver by teams.
For a GM to say publicly he does not think there will be a lot of interest in a player who he might trade, is kind of odd. Unless ….
What was Troy Weaver really saying about Jerami Grant and the Detroit Pistons?
Weaver’s comments make a lot of sense, if you are preparing to have contract negotiations to extend Grant.
Legally, Grant has to play for Detroit next season. However, being on the last year of a contract, and looking into who knows what in the free agent market, it will probably not make Grant, or his agent, happy campers. Grant would be in limbo, still in Detroit, but on his way out.
Weaver knows, if he can negotiate a reasonable long-term contract for Grant, he is still eminently tradeable. Now, four years for $112 million might be a touch high. However, (and this is based on no inside knowledge), three-years for $75 million, with a team fourth-year option, could be workable, and a nice bump in pay for Grant.
Talking about how they received no really good offers, and how they do not expect many teams to want him in the off-season, is a way to try and lower Grant’s asking price.
Parsing through the words, it appears, as long as the price is right, Jerami Grant will be with the Detroit Pistons next season. Of course, it only takes one team to change Troy Weaver’s mind.