Feb 8, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers small forward Jerami Grant (9) : Soobum Im-Imagn Images
Feb 8, 2024; Portland, Oregon, USA; Portland Trail Blazers small forward Jerami Grant (9) : Soobum Im-Imagn Images | Soobum Im-Imagn Images
The Detroit Pistons are entering NBA trade season in a good position.
They have flexibility and are not desperate to make a move, so should have leverage when teams start calling about their players and cap space, both of which will be coveted at the trade deadline.
Trajan Langdon will have plenty of options, including trying to use his roster spot and cap space to take on future assets in exchange for eating a contract, a move that wouldn’t excite fans even if it is pragmatic.
Although action will be somewhat limited by injuries, there are several teams that will be looking for upgrades at the trade deadline according to a recent article by Shams Charania (subscription), including one with connections to the Detroit Pistons.
Jerami Grant could be biggest “star” on the move at the trade deadline
It’s always difficult to know how a trade deadline is going to unfold, but this one is shaping up to be a quiet one even though there are plenty of teams looking to improve.
The issue is a lack of available stars, a problem that got even worse once Brandon Ingram went down with a significant ankle injury that will have him shelved indefinitely.
We could see Zach LaVine moved, as was suggested in a recent trade proposal involving the Pistons, and there is always the chance that Jimmy Butler or another veteran star could be traded.
But with Ingram out and a limited market for Butler, peripheral players like Dennis Schroder, Dorian Finney-Smith or even the Pistons Tim Hardaway Jr. could end up drawing a lot of attention.
Teams like the Lakers may choose to target a few players instead of going for the splashy star.
One name that Charania mentioned was Jerami Grant, who had his best seasons with the Detroit Pistons before being traded to Portland and signing what many would regard as an inflated contract, especially since he signed it days before the Trail Blazers decided to blow up their roster and trade Damian Lillard.
Portland may have already waited too long on Grant, as his numbers are down across the board this season and he still has three more on his contract after this one at a hefty price.
Grant is owed $32, 34 and 36 million over the next three seasons after this one, not chump change for a guy who is scoring 15 points per game on pedestrian shooting splits of 38/35/82. Keep in mind that Malik Beasley of the Pistons averages more points than Grant and makes $6 million a year, so a bargain, he is not.
Grant is a good defender, but not that good and his lack of 3-point shot this season has certainly changed how he’s perceived after hitting over 40 percent in each of his last two seasons.
But with other stars injured or unavailable, Grant may end up being the biggest name moved if the Blazers can find a team willing to eat that contract.
Thankfully, it will not be the Pistons and for the first time since he left, I don’t hear fans in Detroit clamoring to bring Grant back.
The question is what will Portland be able to squeeze out of another team other than expiring deals, as Grant is overpaid at this point and hardly seems like a guy who would be the difference maker to a title team.
Keep an eye on Golden State or Houston as possible suitors, and even a team like the Bucks could try to flip Khris Middleton for him, allowing Portland to get off two extra years of Grant.
A lot can change between now and February, but if Grant is the biggest name moved, this trade deadline will be a dud.