Portland Trail Blazers: 7 trades with non-playoff teams in the East

Jerami Grant, Damian Lillard, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
Jerami Grant, Damian Lillard, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
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Jerami Grant, Detroit Pistons
Jerami Grant, Detroit Pistons (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

The Portland Trail Blazers add a core piece from the Detroit Pistons

Why this trade works:

Jerami Grant could be one of the best players on the NBA trade block. Grant proved last year that he’s capable of much more than the Denver Nuggets trusted him to do.

He performed admirably as a number one option in his first year with the Detroit Pistons, but maybe not enough to be the centerpiece of their rebuilding project. At 26 years old, with the Pistons dwelling the lowest, darkest place of the NBA’s standings cellar, Grant will likely be in the middle of his prime by the time Detroit has a team worthy of his prowess.

In 2020-2021, Grant put up 22.3 points per game, 2.8 assists, and 4.6 rebounds while playing out of position for the Pistons and forcing up shots for a horrid offense.

For the Blazers, he’ll be back in his element as a complementary offensive piece that makes most of his impact outside of the box score.

He would instantly become the best defender on the roster and provide maximum lineup flexibility for new Head Coach Chauncey Billups. Acquiring Grant could even give the Blazers the tired label of super team.

In return, Detroit receives two young players and two future first-rounders to launch a full-on rebuild. For his price and his skills though, there might be better offers on the table for the Pistons if they make Grant available.