The Detroit Pistons find themselves in last place in the NBA, and they’re reportedly open to trading their best player, forward Jerami Grant, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Although he’ll be sidelined for a month due to a thumb injury, Grant can move the needle for an NBA Playoff hopeful.
In his year-plus with the Pistons, Grant has grown into a highly productive two-way player. He’s getting points both in the paint and off the dribble, serving as a leading source of offense while holding his own on the other end of the floor. Given the player he has become, Grant could be an impactful complementary scorer on a playoff team.
Here are three ideal trade destinations for Jerami Grant.
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3. Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers
- Trail Blazers get: Jerami Grant
- Pistons get: Anfernee Simmons, Nassir Little, Robert Covington and Portland’s 2025 first-round draft pick
For better or worse, the Trail Blazers appear intent on competing in the Western Conference with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum leading the way. Given that mindset, Grant fits Portland’s timeline.
When healthy, Portland has plenty of wing scoring in Lillard, McCollum and Norman Powell. They need a legitimate frontcourt scoring option. Grant would benefit from the attention the star guards attract while adding a new dimension to the team’s offense. He can score inside and outside and be a difference-maker without the ball in his hands.
If an injury occurs in the backcourt, Grant can take on a larger role in head coach Chauncey Billups’ offense. Furthermore, Grant can be the center at the end of games depending on the opponent. All the while, he’s accustomed to competing in the playoffs, as he was at least a rotation player for the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder over the last five years.
- Jerami Grant stats (2021-22): 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 41.4/33.1/84.9
Portland is continually trying to exorcise its playoff demons. Having individuals who are familiar with such play is paramount. As it concerns a trade, they bypass the growth of Simmons and Little for the sake of acquiring a player in his prime. From the Pistons’ perspective, they get players who add youthful depth to their rotation, as well as a future first-rounder, which could be used for another trade.
All that said, a trade could be impeded by the Trail Blazers feeling they don’t have the depth to move on from three players for one.
2. Jerami Grant to the Sacramento Kings
- Kings get: Jerami Grant
- Pistons get: Buddy Hield
A straight up swap of Grant for Hield makes sense for both the Kings and Pistons.
The Kings’ future is a guessing game, but let’s say they aspire to make the playoffs this season: the swap of players in their late 20s balances out Sacramento’s roster. Hield has been a prime trade candidate for two years, especially with the team having young guards like De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell. Grant gives them a productive, lengthy forward.
Both Grant and Richaun Holmes can score in a variety of ways inside the paint while Fox runs the show and Haliburton gets clean looks from the perimeter. With Grant being under contract for a year and a half, the Kings can experiment with this grouping. Worst-case scenario, they trade Grant in the offseason or the season that follows. They literally have nothing to lose.
- Jerami Grant contract per Spotrac: second season of a three-year, $60 million deal
Hield would be a compelling fit in Detroit. Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes figure to be the team’s backcourt for the foreseeable future. Hield would be a wing shooter/scorer who stretches the floor for Cunningham and Hayes to attack the basket. The former Sooner would have the chance to start a new chapter of his NBA career as the scorer in his prime who helps a rebuilding Pistons team. A five-man unit of Cunningham, Hayes, Hield, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart isn’t too shabby.
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The factor that could stop Hield from landing in the Motor City, however, is the Pistons wanting payroll flexibility this upcoming offseason; Hield is in the second season of a four-year, $94 million deal.
1. Jerami Grant to the San Antonio Spurs
- Spurs receive: Jerami Grant
- Pistons receive: Lonnie Walker, Thaddeus Young, San Antonio’s 2022 first-round draft pick and San Antonio’s 2024 second-round draft pick
The Spurs have a young roster but one that isn’t too far away from being a continual playoff team. Grant could be the player that gets them over the hump, whether it be this season or in 2022-23.
Head coach Gregg Popovich has a guard-oriented roster. Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Lonnie Walker, Devin Vassell and Joshua Primo all have either considerable contracts or were first-round selections. These are talented players, but the Spurs need to even out their roster to become an elite offensive team.
Grant would be a much-needed frontcourt scorer for the Spurs. The forward and backcourt duo of Murray and White would feed off each other, as they provide different offensive skill sets that don’t interfere with the other. Grant forces defenses to respect the Spurs’ interior scoring, as they wouldn’t be as heavily reliant on their guard play. This move immediately improves the Spurs and allows them to see whether a more complete roster brings out a star in one of their guards, specifically Murray and White.
The Spurs trade from their strong suit by moving the improving Walker and a first-rounder that’s likely to be in the teens for Grant. They have the youthful depth to the point where the draft pick likely wouldn’t have a profound impact on their operation and would therefore be a superfluous addition.
Detroit gets a player who has made strides in Walker and a player of their choosing in the 2022 NBA Draft. Perhaps they can reroute Young to a contender and get a second-rounder or two? This trade does the trick for both teams.