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Jerami Grant is a valuable potential acquisition for contenders ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, and the Detroit Pistons reportedly want plenty in return.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday on SportsCenter that the forward “has stirred a lot of interest around the league. He kind of fits almost anywhere. Detroit’s asking price has largely stayed at two first-round picks.”
Wojnarowski pointed to the Portland Trail Blazers as having interest in acquiring Grant, although they may not have enough assets.
Interest around the NBA is no surprise considering Grant’s skill set and the fact that he is not a rental. He is under contract through the 2022-23 campaign and could help in a couple of playoff runs.
Grant is averaging 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from deep. While the shooting numbers could use a boost, he can stuff the stat sheet and impact the game in a number of ways.
He averaged a career-best 22.3 points per game last season for the Pistons and is in his prime at 27 years old.
Yet the Pistons are in rebuilding mode around rookie Cade Cunningham and are unlikely to be title contenders during Grant’s contract. Moving him to accelerate that rebuild with multiple first-round picks would be an ideal move.
Portland has been one of the busiest teams in the league ahead of the deadline, sending CJ McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans as part of a trade that included multiple picks and players.
It also acquired Joe Ingles from the Utah Jazz in another move involving multiple players, although the veteran has a torn ACL and is sidelined for the rest of the season.
Wojnarowski reported on the Trail Blazers’ plans following the McCollum trade:
Adrian Wojnarowski @wojespn
Portland’s plan is to fully reshape roster around Damian Lillard now. Portland created a $21M trade exception today, potentially $60M in salary cap space this summer, multiple draft picks and assets via Pels and Clippers trades. Plan is to pursue high-end talent now, not retreat.
Pairing Lillard and Grant could make the Blazers far more competitive, especially in 2022-23, but it may cost them multiple first-round picks.