Grade the Trade: Blazers move Jerami Grant in wild mock three-team blockbuster
By Reese Kunz
The Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers make sense as potential trade partners in a deal centered around Jerami Grant, as the two teams want to go in opposite directions entering the 2024-25 NBA season. The Lakers need to take a risk to maximize the window of 39-year-old LeBron James, who still looks like the best player in the world in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
They were targeting multiple free agency and trade options that are no longer available, including Klay Thompson, Gary Trent Jr., DeMar DeRozan, and Dejounte Murray, among others. However, now, with limited options, Grant is more likely to be traded to Los Angeles.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports recently confirmed Grant's link to the Lakers, saying on The Good Word with Vincent Goodwill, "To your point, yes, the Lakers have, I think, limited options of players who are actually available, who are difference-makers that they could foreseeably go and acquire. To my knowledge, [Jerami Grant] is someone that's been on the radar."
Blazers send Jerami Grant to Lakers in mock deal
The Blazers don't necessarily need to make any moves before the start of next season and have 15 all roster spots locked up after picking up Dalano Banton's team option. They already accomplished their main offseason priorities of drafting a difference maker in Donovan Clingan and getting under the luxury tax by trading Malcolm Brogdon. Still, they are open to potentially moving players like Grant or Anfernee Simons, among others, for the right price.
But what would be enough for the Blazers to be willing to part ways with Grant? He's not part of their rebuilding timeline at 30 years old, but he also doesn't get in the way of an up-and-coming player who must start on the Blazers' roster. It has to be the right deal for the Blazers. Otherwise, they seem content heading into next season with veterans on the roster, similar to last year.
To further complicate a potential Grant-Lakers trade, the Blazers aren't interested in receiving D'Angelo Russell in a potential Grant trade, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey factors this into the mock deal, getting a third team involved. Here are the details of the proposal: