Jerami Grant of the Portland Trail Blazers is quietly emerging as a name to watch ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
So far this season Grant is averaging 21.8 points per game on 46.1 percent shooting from the field and 41.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc. In addition, he is also chipping in 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per outing while playing consistently above-average defense.
When Grant initially re-signed in Portland, Damian Lillard was still on the roster. Clearly the Blazers are a very different team now.
Many around the league have been speculating in recent weeks whether Grant might be on the move ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
This week, NBA insider Matt Moore offered some insight into that.
“While it’s unclear at this point if the Blazers want to retain him,” Moore noted. “Jerami Grant is expected to receive more interest from teams looking for forward help over the next month.
“Grant becomes trade eligible on January 15th after signing his five-year, $160-million contract this summer.”
If the Blazers do opt to trade Grant, two frontrunners for his services have quietly emerged.
The first is the Dallas Mavericks. As noted by Dan Favale of Bleacher Report, a deal that sees Portland trade Grant in return for a ton of trade capital (namely: a 2026 first-round pick that is top-six protected and a 2028 first-round pick swap that is top-eight protected) could make a ton of sense.
Another team to keep an eye on as it pertains to Grant is the Los Angeles Lakers. As noted by Heavy.com, the 29-year-old could check a lot of boxes for the purple and gold. Plus, they already tried to get him in 2023.
Lakers Insider Names 2 Potential Blockbuster Trades To Watch For: https://t.co/xkugk9FJ3K
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 11, 2024
“The Lakers tried to acquire Grant from the Pistons last season,” the report noted. “…Los Angeles offered Detriot Talen Horton-Tucker, Nunn and a future draft pick for Grant. The Pistons declined the Lakers’ offer.”
Maybe this is the perfect opportunity for the Lakers to right that wrong. That being said, they are linked to another big star who they may prefer to Grant.
One way or another, it doesn’t make a ton of sense for a player like Grant to toil away in Portland.
ESPN’s Mina Kimes Criticized Over Appearance In New Photo: https://t.co/bYDHR0O7cD
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 11, 2024
The Blazers are in the midst of a rebuild – they don’t need a utility guy like him.
More likely than not, he will be on the move ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
Where will Grant end up when it is all said and done? Time will tell.
Related: Lakers’ Preferred Trade Target Between Dejounte Murray, Zach LaVine
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
