The Milwaukee Bucks know they’re on the brink of a possible complete teardown.
General manager Jon Horst has, frankly, mishandled his roster-building around transcendent All-NBA superstar power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo ever since Khris Middleton’s knee sprain likely cost the Bucks a shot at a second straight NBA Finals appearance in the 2022 playoffs.
Middleton, a former three-time All-Star in his Milwaukee prime, began to age rapidly. The 6-foot-7 swingman lost much of the lateral footspeed that made him such a lethal two-way talent. But the Bucks were still an elite two-way squad, with All-Defensive standouts Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez and sharpshooting sixth man big Bobby Portis the other critical mainstays for a few seasons.
Following a shocking first-round playoff upset as the East’s top seed in 2023, Horst made a go-for-broke bid to transform his offense, trading a package toplined by Holiday for All-Star point guard Damian Lillard. Lillard never quite developed the pick-and-roll chemistry with Antetokounmpo that many were expecting to see. The aging future Hall of Famer couldn’t stay healthy at the ends of either of his two Bucks seasons, missing multiple playoff games both years.
Horst, meanwhile, failed to land helpful draft picks around Antetokounmpo, and brought in one-dimensional veterans to help who also fizzled in the postseason.
By the time Lillard ruptured his Achilles tendon during this year’s playoffs, the Bucks faced a choice: let the seven-time All-NBA standout’s pricey $112.6 million linger on its books for the next two seasons, while he likely missed at least all of 2025-26, or ditch him. Horst knew that Lillard, 35, was going to be borderline untradeable thanks to the severity of his injury and the expense of his deal. So the 6-foot-2 Weber State product was waived.
Milwaukee overpaid to steal 3-and-D center Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers on a four-year, $108.9 million deal with the added cap room. The team also brought in reserve guard Cole Anthony as a free agent, plus little-used vets Gary Harris and Amir Coffey.
It hasn’t been enough. The Bucks have barely stayed above water in the games Antetokounmpo has been healthy to play, going 9-8 with the two-time MVP in tow. When Antetokounmpo has sat with long-term adductor and calf injuries, Milwaukee has been awful, going 2-8 and looking utterly rudderless defensively.
Now, a desperate Milwaukee club is looking to make some bold in-season moves to improve the team and appease Antetokounmpo, who seems to be at least contemplating a trade demand out of town.
Per Jake Fischer of The Stein, one name the Bucks are considering is a teammate of Lillard’s on the Portland Trail Blazers, 3-and-D combo forward Jerami Grant.
Grant, 31, is a second-generation Trail Blazers forward. He’s the son of 11-year NBA pro Harvey, and the nephew of All-Star former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers champion power forward Horace.
Because Milwaukee is bereft of significant future draft equity, Fischer notes that a player on a contract seen to be too generous is the kind of veteran piece the Bucks may be able to acquire.
Grant is still owed $102.6 million across the final three seasons of his current deal, including 2025-26. Although teams may balk at his salary, he remains an impactful two-way player, and would instantly become perhaps the Bucks’ second-most important piece behind only Antetokounmpo.
Across 25 contests for Portland this year as a role player, the Syracuse product has been averaging a prolific 20.0 points on .438/.395/.863 shooting splits, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per.
Fischer cautions, however, that the Trail Blazers may not be so willing to part with their veteran forward.
“In the nearer term, though, it remains to be seen if the Bucks could even get traction on a Grant pursuit if they wanted to, since the 31-year-old has emerged as a favorite of Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin,” Fischer writes.
Newsweek Sports recently had an opportunity to speak with Horace Grant on a variety of topics - including Jerami Grant. Check out our full chat the Bulls Bros podcast.
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