The Portland Trail Blazers entered the 2024-25 season with Grant widely viewed to be their best player, as he was collectively ranked 78th in the league across major outlets. With Grant's struggles this season, that no longer appears to be the case. His scoring (14.4 points) and efficiency (37 percent from the field) have both taken a dip, which is especially concerning considering he doesn't impact winning in other aspects, such as rebounding or playmaking.
Big man Deandre Ayton is another Blazers veteran who has struggled relative to expectations this season. He remains sidelined for at least two more weeks due to a left calf strain. But when healthy, Ayton has been inconsistent. Ayton's 14.4 points per game is tied for a career low. Similar to Grant, that's problematic for Ayton as he's somewhat of a one-dimensional player who needs to score in order to be effective.
Unsurprisingly, with both having down years, Grant and Ayton didn't make the cut in the recent release of FanSided's NBA 99 player rankings.
Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton fall outside the NBA 99
Unfortunately, we agree that Grant and Ayton shouldn't have made the rankings. Dereck Lively II, Chris Paul, and Jordan Poole were the final players to make the top 99, and all are more impactful for their respective teams.
Outside of Lively, other centers that made the cut over Ayton include Daniel Gafford (No. 91), Naz Reid (No. 89), and Brook Lopez (No. 83). These big men are more well-equipped to be modern-day centers as they provide either rim-protection, floor spacing, or a combination of the two.
Despite their veterans having down years, the Blazers still have a significantly improved record this season at 26-33. The fact that they are even in consideration for a play-in spot is a testament to their young core.
However, it also shows how important it is for them to trade veterans like Grant and Ayton. Hopefully, this summer will clear the path for the youth movement.
The one downside of Portland's young players catching up to their veterans is that even if they did manage to trade Grant or Ayton, that likely wouldn't be a substantial enough downgrade to tank for a better draft spot.
The fact that Grant ($29.8 million) and Ayton ($34 million) are the Blazers' two highest-paid players yet can't make a top 99 ranking highlights a significant flaw in the Blazers' roster construction. They need to get off the books for these two overpaid veterans sooner rather than later. The good news is that Ayton's contract is expiring after next season, making it somewhat easier to find a team willing to take on his deal this summer.