The Detroit Pistons are in the perfect storm for trade rumors, as they have the 5th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, a load of cap space and a trade asset in Jerami Grant.
Most of the Grant rumors have focused on the Portland Trail Blazers, who many believe are going to try and make a big splash around Damian Lillard and possibly a new ownership group.
But Portland certainly isn’t the only team that might have interest in Grant, as we recently wrote about a report that said the Atlanta Hawks have renewed interest after inquiring about Grant at the trade deadline.
Insider Marc Stein (SUBSCRIPTION REQUIRED) fanned those flames recently when he reported that Atlanta was still kicking the tires on Jerami Grant, hoping to use a combination of the 16th pick and a player to land him.
"“It is not yet clear whether the Hawks can outbid other Detroit suitors, most notably Portland, with a trade offer (presumed to include the No. 16 pick in the forthcoming draft) that finally convinces the Pistons to part with Grant.”"
If Portland decides that the 7th pick is too much to give up for Jerami Grant, then Atlanta might move into the driver’s seat to obtain him in a trade. But do they even have the assets to get it done?
Detroit Pistons: The Atlanta Hawks package for Jerami Grant is not enough
Troy Weaver has made it clear that he is not going to trade Jerami Grant without getting a significant return. Grant fits the culture Weaver is trying to build and has been a productive player for the Detroit Pistons.
He’s also one of the Pistons’ few veteran players, and Weaver has also made it clear that he is not interested in having a team comprised entirely of guys in their early 20’s, as they will “eat themselves.”
So he’s not going to move Grant just to move him, and would probably be comfortable extending him if the right deal doesn’t present itself. That being said, this potential Atlanta offer is probably not enough:
If this is the offer the Atlanta Hawks are putting on the table, then Troy Weaver needs to flip that table over and walk out of the room with haste.
I don’t see the value in such a deal, as Bogdanovic is not only an older, worse player, but has an extra year on his contract, a player’s option for $18 million.
He would give the Detroit Pistons a boost of 3-point shooting, but that is pretty much the only area where he is superior to Grant, who is a much better defender, creator and scorer from the other two levels.
If the Pistons are going to downgrade veteran players, then there needs to be an asset that makes it worth their while, and the 16th pick in a middling draft is certainly not it.
While it’s possible to find an Isaiah Stewart or Saddiq Bey in that range, it is far more likely that the 16th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft doesn’t even end up in an NBA rotation or will take years of development to get there.
That is far too big a risk to take just to get off Grant, especially when he is a quality locker room guy, leader and actually wants to be in Detroit. Trading him away for peanuts sends a pretty awful message to the other players on the team as well as future free agents who are considering the Pistons.
If this is the only offer the Detroit Pistons get this offseason, then expect to hear about the Jerami Grant extension sometime in early August.