NBA News: Pistons trade Jerami Grant to Trail Blazers

The latest NBA news pertains to the Pistons trading Jerami Grant to the Trail Blazers. According to one report days ago, the Trail Blazers were close to sending the Pelicans’ first-round draft pick to the Pistons for Jerami Grant. Now, Portland is receiving Grant and a second-round draft pick swap (No. 46).

In exchange, the Pistons are receiving the No. 36 pick for today’s draft and a 2025 first-round draft pick, a 2025 first-round draft pick from the Bucks and a 2025 second-round draft pick.

Of course, Milwaukee’s first-round pick is top-four-protected. On the other hand, the Nuggets are getting their 2025 second-round draft pick back from the Trail Blazers. Anyway, in a total of 47 games played in the 2021-22 season, Grant averaged 19.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. The 9-year veteran also shot 42.6% from the field and 35.8% from 3-point range.

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Furthermore, Grant missed time last season due to a thumb injury he sustained in December. He had to sit out after undergoing surgery to repair the UCL ligament in his right thumb. In late March, the forward ended up missing the remainder of the season because of a calf injury as well.

The Trail Blazers will be Grant’s fifth team of his NBA career. Before the Pistons trade, he also played for the 76ers, Thunder and Nuggets.

Is Jerami Grant a short-term solution for the Trail Blazers?

Additionally, this move is interesting by Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin. Grant is entering his final year of the three-year, $60 million contract he signed with the Nuggets as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Pistons. The forward is set to earn $20,952,381 for the 2022-23 season. Also, Anfernee Simons could use another wing to help him out.

Six-time All-Star guard Damian Lillard played just 29 games last season. In November 2021, lower abdominal tendinopathy kept him off the court. Then, he underwent abdominal surgery in mid-January. He should play well enough like he did in previous seasons, but Lillard turns 32 in July. So, nothing is a given. The guard averaged 24 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game in the 2021-22 season.

Grant is demanding a hefty contract | NBA News

Per multiple sources, Grant is seeking a four-year, $112,654,080 contract from a team. This is probably a wait-and-see situation. He will become an unrestricted free agent next year. Therefore, he might not be with Portland. And the Trail Blazers were attempting to clear up cap space for Josh Hart’s guaranteed salary.

Hart signed a three-year, $38 million contract with the Pelicans on Aug. 18, 2021. Then, he was traded to the Trail Blazers on Feb. 8. He will make $12.960 million for the 2022-23 season. Indeed, G.M. Joe Cronin knows his team is in a better spot now. Tonight’s draft will be the best indicator.

Regarding the Pistons, they now have at least $56 million in available cap space. Jerami Grant knows the impact playing in Detroit had on his professional playing career. He scored a career-high 43 points in the Pistons’ 105-102 loss to the Bulls on Feb. 17, 2021. Grant finished the 2020-21 season as the league’s second-best Most Improved Player candidate.