The Blazers have a virtually unfixable Jerami Grant problem

The Portland Trail Blazers traded multiple draft picks to acquire Jerami Grant in 2022. They hoped he would help Damian Lillard get the franchise back to the playoffs. The Blazers even gave him a massive five-year $160 million contract in the summer of 2023 just months before trading Dame and embarking on a rebuild. Grant is a desirable talent locked in with the team through 2028. Fans keep hearing the trade rumors, but moving the veteran won’t be easy.

The new CBA puts much harsher restrictions on high-spending teams. It has limited the trade market and made massive contracts for non-superstars impossible to move. Brandon Ingram’s $36 million expiring deal has drawn little interest, and no team has touched Zach LaVine’s $43-plus million over the next three years. Grant reaches that $36 million mark in his final season and has never made an All-Star appearance.

The salary cap will rise, but Grant will still make a large percentage of the cap. His contract may be unmovable, especially if the Blazers are determined to get a significant return that boosts their rebuild. Things are only getting worse as Grant is off to an abysmal start to this season.

Blazers cannot trade Jerami Grant unless his play significantly improves

Grant is the only player on Portland’s roster over 30 years old. Their nucleus is all under 25. Yes, there are questions about their building blocks, but Grant clearly does not fit their timeline. The obvious answer would be a trade, but nobody wants a 6’7 wing shooting under 40 percent from the field and leading a bottom-ten defense.

Grant averaged 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.1 block in 32.7 minutes per game through his first 20 contests. His scoring and efficiency are down significantly. Grant shot north of 40 percent from 3-point range in his first two seasons in Portland, but is making just 35.8 percent so far. The Blazers have a negative-9.7 net rating with the 30-year-old on the floor.

Grant helped the Nuggets reach the conference finals in 2020, but has since preferred to be a top scoring option on a rebuilding team. The 6’7 forward has the versatility to help on both ends of the floor but wants a massive offensive role. Grant has not won playing it, which will limit interest from contenders.

Beyond that, his subpar production and massive contract will leave the Blazers saddled with the remainder of his deal, despite trying to rebuild. There will be no market for an inefficient forward wanting to be a top-scoring option. Grant would need to buy into a 3-and-D role, but he is being paid like a number two.

The Portland Trail Blazers will continue to regret the Jerami Grant contract and no solution is coming. A rebuilding team cannot trade draft capital to dump his contract. They are stuck with Grant. The Blazers only hope his play improves and someone is willing to take on the remainder of his deal. That seems unlikely, but crazier things have happened in the NBA.