2. Re-signing Jerami Grant
Jerami Grant had his most efficient offensive season as a pro last year playing alongside Lillard and Anfernee Simons.
Grant spent two seasons with the Detroit Pistons as the team’s primary offensive weapon and understandably had his best statistical years in the Motor City, but he settled into a more suitable role with the Blazers. The 29-year-old averaged 20.5 points and shot 47.5 percent from the floor in 2022-23 and hit more than 40 percent of his threes for the first time in his 10 NBA seasons.
Jerami’s impending free agency was a major topic of conversation toward the end of last season, and it continued into the summer. Portland knew it would have to overspend to keep him, and if the goal was to keep Lillard happy, bringing one of the team’s best veteran players back seemed to be a logical move.
The Trail Blazers decided to re-sign Grant either way and will now be shelling out $160 million over the next five seasons. Is he worth that kind of money? No, not really, but he will be a serviceable player and one of the quiet leaders for a young Portland team in 2023-24.
There’s always the possibility that Grant is traded at some point, but for now, he’ll slot in as a guaranteed starter and will be expected to have another solid offensive campaign.