If the Detroit Pistons truly wanted to push some of their chips onto the table this season, bringing back Jerami Grant could be an interesting choice to consider. The Portland Trail Blazers are building a nice young core, but swapping out Grant for Jaden Ivey and other pieces wouldn’t be a terrible idea, and he could add some nice depth to Detroit’s lineup.
Grant has been having a solid season for the Blazers, shooting the ball well and acting as a primary scoring option off the pine. Meanwhile, Ivey has struggled, and since he’ll be in need of a contract extension, the Pistons could potentially consider moving on from him.
It’s very possible the Pistons would rather use Ivey in a big-swing move, but this could be a smaller option.
Pistons should consider a Jerami Grant trade
Grant was on the Pistons for two seasons from 2020 to 2022. He’s been dealing with some Achilles soreness lately, though he’s listed on the Blazers’ injury report as day-to-day.
The veteran forward is enjoying a solid season in Portland, though recent rumors have indicated that they may be interested in trading him away at this year’s deadline.
So far this year, Grant has appeared in 26 games for the Blazers, starting 14 of them and playing 30.3 minutes per contest. He is averaging 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 43.6% from the field and 38.9% from deep on 6.4 three-point attempts per contest.
That type of production would be very valuable coming off the Pistons’ bench as they look to compete with some of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
Now, the problem with a potential Grant trade is that the Pistons would likely have to move one of Jaden Ivey or Tobias Harris.
Harris has been integral to the Pistons’ success for the past two seasons, and even though he’s on an expiring contract, he still seems poised to help them in the postseason this year.
Ivey, on the other hand, has not only been struggling mightily this season, and he’ll be in need of a new contract this summer. Trading him for Grant is the opposite of flashy, and some fans may not like it, but it could help the Pistons compete for a Finals birth.
Bringing Grant back to Detroit would be a small-ball move in the grand scheme of things, but flipping Ivey and Caris LeVert would work financially.
And if the Blazers were interested, it would make the Pistons a better basketball team.