The Detroit Pistons currently have the worst record in the NBA, and while they have some excuses in terms of injuries, schedule and youth, it’s clear they still need more talent.
This is especially true on the wing, where their two primary forwards (Bojan Bogdanovic and Saddiq Bey) are among the league’s worst defenders at their position.
It hasn’t helped that the Pistons have had to watch some former players thrive on different teams, guys who would definitely fit the mold of what they currently need.
One such player is Jerami Grant, who was traded away last July in a move that eventually landed the Pistons Jalen Duren in the draft.
It was a mutually beneficial trade and I gave high grades to both teams, as the Trail Blazers got a guy to help them compete right now and the Detroit Pistons got their center of the future in Duren.
Grant will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, so is a guy the Pistons could pursue in free agency. But should they?
Detroit Pistons: Jerami Grant and the free-agent market
Grant is having another fantastic season for the Portland Trail Blazers, putting up the best shooting numbers of his career playing off Damian Lillard.
He’s probably going to get a substantial raise on his next contract, as he has proven he can be the third-best player on a playoff team, a wing defender who can shoot, which every team can use.
The Pistons will have the cap space to sign him, and the truth is that he might be the best available free agent when the market shakes out. This means they’d have to splash out big bucks to bring Jerami Grant back to Detroit.
But given the lack of quality depth in the free-agent class, he might be their best option, as he is really one of the only players in the 2023 free agent group that suits their current roster need for a wing who can defend.
So let’s look at some of the reasons the Detroit Pistons would and wouldn’t pursue Jerami Grant in free agency.