The Portland Trail Blazers should consider trading Jerami Grant this offseason to get off his massive salary. However, the issue is that this is a team with playoff expectations next season, and moving one of their best players gets them further away from that goal. The good news is that Portland can find a win-now replacement who is significantly younger and, most importantly, cheaper via the draft.
Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg has been one of college basketball's best players, averaging 15.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists this season. He's already 23 years old, which could turn away some teams looking for more of a franchise-altering ceiling in the lottery. But that's an ideal situation for Portland, which will likely be looking at another late lottery pick this summer.
Blazers should draft Yaxel Lendeborg as a Jerami Grant replacement
The Blazers are in no man's land as a team that is fighting an uphill battle to come out of the Play-In Tournament alive, but even slimmer chances of jumping into the top four in the draft lottery (7.1 percent). Lendeborg is an intriguing solution to the no-man's-land predicament they find themselves in.
Given how well he's played on the March Madness stage, it's clear he's ready for the spotlight. Portland would still give Damian Lillard a realistic shot at a deep playoff run, but most importantly, it would be setting itself up well for the future.
That's what is missing from the Grant equation. Keeping both him and Jrue Holiday around as overpaid veterans is limiting their ceiling, not just in terms of their draft position, but also in that it's making it that much more difficult for Portland to retain and upgrade their existing roster. Eventually, they'll have to renegotiate and extend their newest All-Star, Deni Avdija. Grant is owed $70 million over the next two seasons, accounting for his player option in 2027-28.
Grant has been in trade rumors constantly. It's been clear he hasn't fit Portland's rebuilding timeline since signing the $160 million, five-year deal in 2023, with Lillard requesting a trade just one day later. However, the case for keeping Grant around is stronger now, as this roster has come full circle with Lillard's return.
That said, Joe Cronin has consistently emphasized Portland's future and long-term outlook. Swapping Grant for Lendeborg would be a major upgrade for their future, both in terms of financial and timeline fit.
The Blazers would miss Grant's three-point shooting, but Lendeborg could provide them with more versatility as a Swiss Army Knife. That's the type of versatility Cronin covets, and it's yet another reason why Lendeborg would be a seamless integration as a day-one contributor.
If they want someone to bridge the gap between the two timelines they've created, Portland should look no further than the Michigan forward this summer.