3 ideal Jerami Grant trade scenarios from the Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons were happy to pry away Jerami Grant with a three-year, $60-million contract in free agency during the 2020 NBA offseason.

Now, two summers later, the team may already be looking to part ways with their skilled power forward.

Grant has undoubtedly grown as a player in his time with the Pistons, experiencing a 10-point surge in points per game.

Yet at 28 years old, entering the final year of his contract, Grant may no longer fit the team’s long-term plans.

For these reasons, the Pistons may prefer to see what Grant can bring back in a trade this offseason. Here are three ideal trade scenarios for Grant and the Pistons to part ways.

Denver Nuggets give Nikola Jokic some frontcourt help

NBA: Utah Jazz at Denver Nuggets — Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets already figure to be much improved next season as Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. return to health. This alone should help Nikola Jokic and Co. get past the first round of the NBA Playoffs next season.

Uniquely, the front office already has some idea of how Grant can fit into the bigger picture. He spent the 2019-20 season there, playing in 71 games before agreeing to a sign-and-trade the following offseason as they could not afford to pay him the salary he desired. While Grant is still on that same contract, it is expiring and the Nuggets could be intrigued by his versatile skillset once again.

Jerami Grant stats: 19.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, .358 3P% in 2021-22

The Nuggets have enough tradeable assets to match salaries, whether they want to include Will Barton and another piece, or aim higher by being willing to move off from Porter Jr. already, they appear to have the capital needed to swing a trade for Grant.

Brooklyn Nets add a third star, again

Coming off a disappointing playoff appearance in which they barely even made it that far, chances are, changes are coming to the Brooklyn Nets’ roster. It could even lead to a Ben Simmons trade, before he even has played his first game as a Net.

If the Nets are already willing to scrap the Simmons plan, adding a scorer such as Grant could intrigue them. Sure, he and Simmons possess much different skill sets, but he is a talented piece nonetheless.

Of course, there’s always the possibility of a Kyrie Irving trade too. Either player would fetch a solid return, whether the Pistons keep them or not is a different tale. Simmons might fit the roster, but Irving would likely be re-routed to a third team if that was the trade.

Jerami Grant contract: $20.9 million in 2022-23

Either way, the Nets are a strong bet to shake the roster up, and the Pistons might even be interested in adding the sweet-shooting Joe Harris, as the salaries for him and Grant do match and would give them a sniper from the perimeter. Of course the Nets would have to add an additional asset, but Grant landing in Brooklyn is certainly possible this offseason.

Damian Lillard pairs up with Grant on the Blazers

As The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner passes along, the Portland Trail Blazers could emerge as a top competitor for Grant’s services.

Damian Lillard and Grant formed a bond playing on the same team at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and could entertain a chance to pair up again for an NBA team stateside.

With Lillard unlikely to be moved, the easiest transaction would be Portland trading for Grant instead.

A package starting with Josh Hart could get the conversation started, but the Blazers might have to add a heavily protected future first to go along with the two-way small forward.

Adding Grant to a core featuring Lillard, hopefully Anfernee Simons and more could be a great starting point toward contending in 2022.