The Portland Trail Blazers have won four of their last five games and now sit 10th in the Western Conference with a 12-17 record. The conference is top-heavy but has been underwhelming overall relative to expectations heading into the season. As the Blazers' schedule lightens up and they eventually recover from this multitude of injuries, Portland should find itself right in the mix for the Play-In Tournament.
Their spot in the West leaves many wondering what their approach will be at the Feb. 5 trade deadline, which seems pivotal to the trajectory of their rebuild. Portland gained a bit of clarity on its roster this offseason with the departures of Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton, but there are still pieces of the rebuilding puzzle to solve, the biggest piece of which is veteran forward Jerami Grant.
Trading Jerami Grant makes sense even with Play-In aspirations
Reporting on The Stein Line (subscription required), NBA insider Jake Fischer named Grant and Robert Williams III as the two players the Blazers could be willing to part ways with.
"The Trail Blazers have capitalized on a weaker-than-expected West to emerge as Play-In Tournament contender, but external curiosity persists about Portland's willingness to part with Jerami Grant in addition to the known-to-be-available Robert Williams III," Fischer writes.
You could also throw Matisse Thybulle into the mix as a player who makes sense for Portland to part ways with, especially given his expiring contract. But of the three, Grant is by far the most challenging to find a viable trade pathway for.
Grant is owed a total of $66.2 million over the next two seasons with a $36.4 million player option in 2027-28. Although he's playing significantly better and in the midst of a bounce-back season, getting off that contract must take precedent over keeping him around to boost their chances of a Play-In berth.
Grant may be a favorite of general manager Joe Cronin's, but the Blazers have also wisely been playing the long game with this rebuild. Fans are understandably eager to get back to the postseason after missing out for four consecutive years. However, taking a patient approach will ultimately boost the team's ceiling.
Deni Avdija is playing at an All-Star level, but his front-loaded and team-friendly contract actually complicates a future extension. At some point, the Blazers must renegotiate and extend his contract to lock down their rising star. Trading Grant to clear the way for that next Avdija contract would be wise, especially now that they have Jrue Holiday's contract to navigate around as well.
Trading Grant is easier said than done, but it's crucial that the Blazers at least make him available and explore their options.