5 Potential landing spots for Blazers' Jerami Grant (besides the Lakers)

The Portland Trail Blazers aren’t in a rush to trade arguably the best player on their team, Jerami Grant. They are finally under the luxury tax after moving Malcolm Brogdon, making Grant’s contract no longer as significant of an issue. Grant’s five-year, $160 million contract signed last offseason was questionable at the time. However, the trade interest for Grant around the league suggests that it’s not destructive.

Even if it’s an overpay for Grant, some teams around the league are in specific situations that could make sense for wanting to acquire him. Specifically, teams that either just missed the playoffs or had an early playoff exit that are looking to add one more established piece to their starting lineup in hopes of getting over that hump.

Per Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype, the Los Angeles Lakers are interested in Jerami Grant. Grant has been linked to Los Angeles in several trade rumors. But because the Blazers aren’t in a rush to trade Grant, general manager Joe Cronin will explore all options and ultimately take the best package available, which may not be the Lakers’ offer.

1. Sacramento Kings

Scotto also mentions that the Sacramento Kings are involved in multiple trade rumors for star players, including Lauri Markkanen and Brandon Ingram. They are looking to add more firepower at their forward positions after missing the playoffs this season in the competitive Western Conference. Sacramento is one piece away from being a team that is a legitimate threat to make a deep playoff run.

Grant is a tier below Markkanen and Ingram in terms of talent and trade value. Of the three players, Grant is the oldest at 30 and the only one without an All-Star appearance. If Sacramento misses out on the more prominent players headlining this offseason, Grant would be an excellent alternative for them to pursue. He’s still talented enough to put them into the playoffs and would come at a cheaper price.