Two players the Portland Trail Blazers need to eventually trade away are Deandre Ayton and Jerami Grant. Not only are they Portland's two highest-paid players at $34 million and $29.8 million, respectively, but they also need to be moved to clear room for Portland's young core. They are paid similarly, but Ayton is going to be much more challenging to trade than Grant.
The new CBA makes deals much more complicated to figure out financially in general. However, teams will be more likely to go through the trouble of making a deal work for Grant rather than Ayton. Grant fits in just about anywhere due to his length, versatility, and three-point shooting. Teams are always looking for more wing depth. Meanwhile, many already have their center position solidified, and several others lack the financial flexibility to move for Ayton.
Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz pitched one trade that every NBA team should propose right now. Swartz highlighted Grant and Ayton as players Portland should be looking to move. However, Swartz notes that "finding a home for Ayton is going to be extremely difficult." Instead, Swartz has the Blazers trading Grant, a relatively easier player to move at the deadline.
B/R mock proposal sends Jerami Grant to Thunder
In this mock proposal, Grant lands with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the top team in the Western Conference. Here is the deal in full:
Despite their incredibly young roster, the Thunder are legitimate contenders this season, even if they don't make a trade at the deadline. Eventually, they must consolidate some of their assets because they can't afford to keep around their entire young core. But whether that's this trade deadline or further down the road remains to be seen.
The Thunder are pursuing Cam Johnson, largely due to his floor spacing and ability to fit into various lineup combinations seamlessly. The same could be said for the 6-foot-7 Grant, who has hovered around 40 percent from three the past three seasons in Portland. Grant has also proven in previous stints that he can be impactful as a third or fourth scoring option, which would bode well for the Thunder's loaded lineup.
Why this is an ideal trade for Portland
This deal makes a ton of sense from Portland's standpoint. Not only would the Blazers be getting off of Grant's contract, but they'd also be adding three role players who fit their rebuilding timeline between Aaron Wiggins (26), Isaiah Joe (25), and Ousmane Dieng (21).
As Swartz notes, Wiggins and Joe would help address Portland's lack of three-point shooting, as both are around 39 percent from beyond the arc in their careers. Dieng isn't a great shooter, but he was previously mentioned as a top trade target for Portland as a former lottery pick who offers a two-way upside with his lengthy athleticism, which they could take a flier on.
This deal seems too good to be true for Portland and likely is. Although Grant would provide a short-term upgrade for the Thunder with his shooting and versatility, Oklahoma City is arguably the best-run organization in the entire league. There's a reason they are reportedly interested in Johnson -- who is 28 with three years, $65.5 million remaining on his deal -- over Grant, who is 30 and still on the books for four years, $132 million.
If the Blazers find a trade partner willing to take on Grant's contract, it will likely be from a team with more limited trade options. The Thunder, with their plethora of young assets and future draft capital, are not one of those teams. It would be surprising if this deal gets done, but crazier things have happened in the NBA. It's at least worth a shot for Portland.