The Portland Trail Blazers need to move on from Jerami Grant. His age (30) and contract (five-year, $160 million) make it obvious that he doesn't fit into Portland's long-term plans, no matter how content he is being a part of the rebuild. The Blazers also already have their starting wing duo of the future between Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara, making Grant more expendable.
Grant isn't worth GM Joe Cronin's previous asking price of two first-round picks, especially given the latest market shift under the new CBA, with valuable role players like Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schroder being traded for just second-round picks. However, he should still draw interest from teams looking to strengthen their title chances as the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches.
Mock proposal sends Jerami Grant and Duop Reath to Cleveland
One of the teams that makes sense as a potential landing spot for Grant is the Cleveland Cavaliers. A trade proposed on Fanspo has Portland shipping its veteran wing for multiple pieces.
Here is what that mock deal looks like:
*Portland would also receive two 2025 second-round picks in this proposal -- one from Cleveland and one from Dallas (via Denver or Philadelphia).
The Mavericks would do this deal in an instant. They give up an underrated stretch big man in Maxi Kleber and a second-round pick but receive a starting-level player in Max Strus, who is a career 36.3 three-point shooter. Strus would be a perfect floor spacer to allow Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving more room to operate in isolation situations.
Cleveland would likely be more reluctant to accept the deal than Dallas. Strus provides similar floor spacing to Grant and is two years younger and roughly $15 million cheaper this season. But it's still a reasonable price to acquire Grant and a deal they could realistically accept.
The Cavs have the best record in the association at 31-4, so they don't have many weaknesses. But the most glaring one is their wings. Grant provides another dimension than Strus with his versatility and 6-foot-7 frame to pair with his 7-foot-3 wingspan.
With Grant, they'd arguably have the best starting lineup on paper, with Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Grant, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Stretch five Duop Reath, underutilized in Portland, would also be an underrated sweetener to help get the deal done.
Dallas would certainly do this deal, and there's a realistic scenario where Cleveland accepts as well. But should Portland pull the trigger?
The Blazers should hang up the phone
Is this a prank call? The Blazers are the ones who get the short end of the stick in this three-team deal.
The biggest red flag that stands out is the number of players they must take on. Portland trades away just two players in Grant and Reath, yet receives four and two second-round picks. How are they expected to have room for these players?
The Blazers' weakness is their lack of star power, but their strength lies in their depth. The players at the end of their bench in the 10-15 spots on their roster are already better than several players they would be receiving.
Not to mention, their return makes no sense in terms of their rebuilding timeline, as Kleber is 32, Niang is 31, and Thompson is 33. Even if it were a trade that could realistically be done from a roster count standpoint, it makes no sense for Portland to acquire multiple pieces that don't align with their roster needs or rebuilding timeline.
If (or when) the Blazers move Grant, it should be for one first-round pick, an up-and-coming player, or a combination of the two; this trade accomplishes neither for Portland and seems way too one-sided in Dallas' favor.