Detroit Pistons: Portland a team to monitor at trade deadline and beyond

Detroit Pistons: Free agent from the Portland Trail Blazers

Another guy to keep an eye on from the Portland Trail Blazers is former Piston Jerami Grant, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Portland already offered him an extension, but Grant turned it down, as he can get more years and money by waiting until free agency. Grant is an interesting possibility for the Pistons, as he fills a need and had a good relationship with Troy Weaver and the organization as a whole.

The question is going to be about price. Grant reportedly turned down a 4 year/$112 million extension offer from Portland because he wants the fifth year he can get in free agency. It’s hard to see a team shelling out the full max for Grant, but if he is able to get the full five years, it’s likely to cost at least $150 million.

Is Grant worth that? He has shown the willingness to be the third wheel on a good team, but he could be pushed even further down the pecking order depending on who the Pistons get in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Portland is interested in keeping Grant, who is friends with Damian Lillard and has played well for them this season, but the Pistons could likely outbid them for his services if it came to that.

I would love to see Grant back in Detroit, but I am not certain making him the highest-paid player on a young team again would yield much different results than the last time unless Detroit gets extremely lucky in the lottery or makes additional complementary moves.

Portland and Detroit have been connected in trades as recently as last year, so this is a team that could impact the future of the Pistons, either at the trade deadline or more likely in the offseason.