Jerami Grant, Detroit Pistons.
Recently rumors kicked back up about the Portland Trail Blazers‘ interest in trading for Jerami Grant. If he is on their radar, what should Interim General Manager Joe Cronin give up for the talented Detroit forward? Also, how they can best use their draft assets to make a deal happen.
It recently came out that Portland offered a package to Detroit around the March trade deadline for Grant that included Josh Hart and draft compensation. As good of a player as Josh Hart is, parting with him, if necessary, to obtain Grant is more than an acceptable loss. Having a solid guard off the bench, like Hart, is an expensive luxury for Portland, especially when they don’t have their starting positions filled.
Moving on to the pending offseason, there are several scenarios where Portland could obtain Grant. The most popular one floated around is Portland packaging the first round pick they acquired from New Orleans (Top-five protected, if the pick lands between 5-14, it goes to Portland), along with their $20.8M trade exception (obtained when the Blazers dealt CJ McCollum). This is probably the most straightforward trade, though it hinges on Portland actually having the Pelican’s pick.
Another option for Portland is they could use the Pelicans pick, package it with Eric Bledsoe‘s $18.1M contract, along with Keon Johnson for Grant. Detroit could then either cut Bledsoe and save $15M or use Bledsoe’s expiring contract in another trade.
There are other more convoluted options, such as three-team trades, but for now, the simplest ones work.
If Portland doesn’t get the Pelican’s pick, it becomes a lot more tricky to put a deal together for Grant. If Portland ends up with only its own pick and that pick lands somewhere between sixth and eighth, the value of that pick is still worth more than Grant. However, to be fair, adding Grant helps this team immediately, while whoever they pick would need time to develop.
In that situation, it might be a good idea to trade down and acquire additional assets. An example would be trying to move the seventh pick for the 12th pick and maybe get a future first rounder in the package. Portland still has a prime pick to offer for Jerami Grant but would also retain a future number one.
If Portland’s own pick ends up in the top three, that would be when Cronin needs to slow down on the Jerami Grant trade talks. There are three high-talented power forwards projected to be at the top of the draft class, Jabari Smith (Auburn), Paolo Banchero (Duke), and Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga).
The Blazers have to take one of those power forwards as all three have a higher ceiling than Grant. 2022-23 is the last year of his contract. If he does come to Portland, the Blazers will need to negotiate an extension which will be expensive. The team saves a lot of money, which they could use elsewhere, by not dealing for Grant and drafting a top forward.
Portland has more than enough cap space to afford him. So trading for Grant and drafting a forward early in Round 1 aren’t mutually exclusive options.
The quickest path to becoming a contender would be for the Portland Trail Blazers to strike gold in the lottery with a top-three draft pick AND obtain the Pelicans pick. That way, they can select the team’s long-term power forward while moving the Pelican’s pick for Grant.
Imagine a starting lineup of Damian Lillard/Anfernee Simons/Grant/Banchero/Jusuf Nurkic (if they re-sign Nurk). That would be the most talented and versatile Blazers lineup in Rip City since the 1990s. A frontcourt with that kind of two-way capability would be the most help Lillard has ever had.
Additionally, coach Chauncey Billups gets contender-level talent to work with. He’d have a top 10 player in Damian Lillard with two players just entering their prime (Nurkic and Grant), with a pair of upcoming stars (Banchero and Simons).
Add in a bench with high-energy two-way players featuring Josh Hart, Nassir Little, Justise Winslow, and Trendon Watford. That’s a conder’s rotation, and Portland still has their remaining trade exceptions.
As mentioned earlier, missing out on the Pelican’s pick and not ending up in the top-three with their own pick. Drafting a player that needs a few years to develop will only expedite the trade Dame rumors.
Damian Lillard is loyal to this team as long as they make winning in the present their highest priority. Nearing 32, Lillard’s desperation to contend leads to an expiration date for the franchise. How long is he willing to wait for the organization to get him there?
Adding Jerami Grant to this team is a pacifying move to please Lillard in the present. Striking out on Grant and a top-three pick might become the final failure that leads to Lillard asking to be moved. This also puts more pressure on Billups and the rest of the lineup to overachieve.
Portland Trail Blazers fans will definitely be rooting for them to land a top-three pick in the lottery. They will also root for the Pelican’s pick to fall between 5 and 14. Just in case neither happens, Cronin should start practicing roster financial jujitsu