Detroit Pistons’ forward Jerami Grant is one of the premier players rumored to be on the move before the NBA trade deadline. While currently off the court due to a thumb injury, Grant is a sturdy and productive two-way player who can play a crucial role on a contending team.
In his year-plus with the Pistons, Grant has been head coach Dwane Casey’s best player and become someone who can fetch the organization a considerable haul via trade. They should look to capitalize on his trade value.
Here’s why the Pistons should trade Grant.
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Detroit Pistons haven’t progressed with Jerami Grant present
The Pistons pulled off the upset of the NBA season on Monday night, beating the Milwaukee Bucks on the road. When one comes off the ecstasy, though, this has been the worst team in the Eastern Conference over the last three years.
Detroit is 47-126 since the start of the 2019-20 NBA season. This season, they’re 7-28, which is good for 14th in the East and comes a year after being the 15th seed. That’s really bad in case you couldn’t connect the dots. Grant has been present for each of the last two seasons. How does trading him negatively impact the Pistons’ competitive standing this season and the one that follows?
- Jerami Grant stats with Pistons (78 games): 21.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 42.5/34.4/84.7
Sure, he can provide a veteran presence for a rebuilding team, as well as someone who can be the go-to player in crunch time. On the other hand, if an NBA team is rotting at the bottom of its conference for multiple years, there’s minimal, if any point, in keeping a highly productive player like Grant.
Are the Pistons better in the immediate future without Jerami Grant? Of course not. He’s their best player and a team still has to develop young talent. That said, the Pistons won’t lose any more games that they weren’t already going to lose because Grant is gone.
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Jerami Grant trade opens up minutes for Detroit Pistons’ youngsters
The positive of the Pistons trading Grant is it permanently opens up playing time for an extremely raw roster; Grant has been sidelined for a month.
There are a bevy of capable young players in this rotation, most notably Cade Cunningham, who has a compelling and well-rounded skill set. Detroit needs to see if it has players present like Cunningham who could be players to build around. A Grant trade mostly impacts the frontcourt and perimeter play (Saddiq Bey and Hamidou Diallo).
Bey is a willing shooter who gets to the rim off the dribble and defends well. Diallo has shown glimpses of being an athletic scorer. Meanwhile, Killian Hayes needs more reps in the backcourt to get in a groove on the offensive end. Frank Jackson can provide a scoring jolt off the bench. Cassius Stanley has opened some eyes in his brief time with the Pistons. Isaiah Stewart is a promising inside player; Stewart’s playing time could increase if big man Kelly Olynyk is traded.
- Jerami Grant contract per Spotrac: second season of a three-year, $60 million deal.
This is a deeply entrenched rebuilding team. They’re not making the playoffs this season and likely next season, as well. What’s important is this team gets the youth on the floor. A player like Grant gets in the way of that aim.
Grant’s departure gives the aforementioned players all the more chances to improve. It also brings in new recruits who fit the Pistons’ mold.
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Detroit Pistons can get a considerable haul in Jerami Grant trade
Grant is a 27-year-old forward who makes an impact on both ends. His game and contract is appealing to a plethora of teams and works in Detroit’s favor in trade talks.
The Pistons will easily get some combination of first-round draft picks that range over the next three years and young rotation players with upside. Let’s say the Boston Celtics want Grant. Detroit could take back an undesirable contract to match salaries, one of Aaron Nesmith and Romeo Langford and multiple first-rounders. One of the former first-round draft selections become an immediate part of the Pistons’ rotation.
The draft picks can become players for the Pistons’ future, be used to trade up in the NBA Draft or moved in a trade for a young star down the road. This type of return can be the baseline for a Grant deal. Another impact of the Pistons trading Grant and perhaps Olynyk is that it creates cap space for this upcoming offseason.
Realistically, the Pistons would be in the restricted free agent market next offseason. Maybe they make a max offer to Miles Bridges or force the Phoenix Suns’ hands’ with Deandre Ayton? This flexibility comes from selling over the next month.
One could argue it’s a loser’s mentality for the Pistons to trade their best player. But again: they’re not doing anything with him. The prudent move for the Pistons is to trade Grant.