How the Pistons can cash in on the imminent Damian Lillard trade

How the Detroit Pistons can cash in on the imminent Damian Lillard trade

The Pistons sifting through the fallout

When the Portland Trail Blazers finally trade Damian Lillard, the focus of the franchise will change for the immediate future.

With Lillard, the playoffs were always the goal, but without him, the Blazers will shift to a rebuild around their young core of players.

They may not want to completely blow it up, in which case, keeping a veteran like Jerami Grant around makes sense, as he could play a similar role as the one he played on a rebuilding Pistons team.

Grant was a player many thought the Pistons would pursue this offseason, as he fits the need for a power forward who can spread the floor and defend. After he got a massive extension from Portland, it looked like the Pistons probably dodged a bullet, but when you look at his deal in context of the new CBA, it doesn’t look so bad.

The deal runs through 2027-28 when Grant will be 33 years old and making just over $36 million per season. It’s not peanuts by any means, but when you look at some of the contracts for comparable players, it’s on par and probably won’t kill whatever team takes it on.

The Blazers also have lower-priced young veterans like Matisse Thybulle they could unload, and the Heat could also look to shed some payroll if they have to take on Lillard.

The trade of Damian Lillard will be the first domino that will likely set off a series of moves, so it will be interesting to see how rosters shuffle with training camp right around the corner.