Jerami Grant is in the second season of a five-year, $160 million deal he signed with the Portland Trail Blazers a day before Damian Lillard's official trade request. Since then, it's been apparent that Portland should move the veteran forward, given his massive contract and the fact that he doesn't fit into their rebuilding timeline as the oldest player on their roster at 30 years old.
However, two things have made it more difficult for the Blazers to move Grant -- GM Joe Cronin's unreasonably high asking price of two first-round picks and the new CBA, which has financially limited teams' trade avenues. If Cronin is willing to lower that asking price to a package that includes something closer to one first-round pick and an up-and-coming player, then there's a scenario where Grant is wearing a different jersey by the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Given his age and contract, it only makes sense for teams with playoff aspirations that are a piece or two away from contention status to sacrifice assets for Grant.
5. Los Angeles Lakers
After acquiring 3-and-D wing Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets, the Lakers' need for more wings isn't as dire. It doesn't completely take them out of the running for Grant, who they have been linked to since the offseason. They still have salary fillers to get a potential deal done with Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and Jarred Vanderbilt.
However, Los Angeles also has other more pressing areas that need to be addressed by this deadline, notably its center position. It seems more likely that they would trade the Blazers for Robert Williams III, who they are interested in.
4. Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry recently called their team "very mid," which is unfortunately accurate for Warriors fans. Golden State has an 18-16 record and is at risk of not even making the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference.
Steph Curry: “Like the kids say, we’re very mid right now. Just very average.” pic.twitter.com/k2heozvcYT
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) December 31, 2024
Usually, a team in no man's land like the Warriors shouldn't be aggressive buyers at the deadline, as they are more than just one player away from being genuine contenders. But their window is shortening with Curry at 36 and Draymond Green at 34.
Grant would be a perfect fit in Steve Kerr's system, which emphasizes ball movement and floor spacing, as someone who has hovered around 40 percent in three the last three seasons in Portland.
Jonathan Kuminga is the ideal trade target for Portland, but that would require much more than just Grant for the Blazers to get a deal done. A more realistic target they should pursue in a potential trade is 22-year-old Moses Moody, shooting a career-best 39.8 percent from beyond the arc this season.
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers' hot start to 2024-25 hasn't cooled off, as they have the best record in the association at 30-4. Their 88.2 win percentage is the second-best of all time, only behind the 2015-16 Warriors, who finished with an 89.0 win percentage and a historic 73-9 record.
The Cavaliers seem like a legitimate threat to win it all, but their lack of playoff success in years past remains a hump that they have to get over. They lost in the Conference Semifinals last year and the First Round in 2022-23.
As evidenced by their record, they have one of the best starting lineups in the league, headlined by their big four: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. But if there's one knock on their roster, it's their lack of wings. Adding Grant to the mix would be a significant upgrade for that department.
One player Portland should try to get back in a potential deal with the Cavaliers is Isaac Okoro, a 23-year-old defensive-minded wing who has drastically improved his three-point shooting since entering the league. Okoro is owed $10.2 million this year. Other salary fillers that the Cavs could include in the deal include Caris LeVert ($16.6 million) and Max Strus ($15.2 million).
2. Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are third in the Western Conference with a 23-13 record. They are already close to their win total last season (27), as they are much healthier this year. With that being the case, it makes sense for Memphis to be aggressive at the deadline and try to make a deep playoff push.
Back in November, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley named Memphis as the 'best landing spot' for Grant, saying that their wing rotation needs an upgrade "in terms of positional size and defensive versatility." Grant would seamlessly fit alongside the Grizzlies' underrated trio of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
If they were to get a Grant deal done, Marcus Smart's $20.2 million contract would likely have to be included to make a deal work financially. Smart is also 30, so the Blazers would likely want to flip him. But if the draft capital attached to the deal is valuable, it could still be worthwhile for Portland. It also helps that Smart's contract expires at the end of next season while Grant is on the books until 2027-28 (player option), giving Rip City more long-term flexibility.
1. Sacramento Kings
There's no way to sugarcoat this -- the Sacramento Kings are falling apart. They were a team to watch this season after their blockbuster offseason addition of free agent DeMar DeRozan (acquired via sign-and-trade). But things have taken a turn for the worse for Sacramento. They recently fired their former Coach of the Year, Mike Brown, and are 11th in the West with a 16-19 record.
The Kings need to make a move before the deadline to get out of the deep hole they've dug themselves in. If Sacramento wants to blow it up and become a seller, they could move De'Aaron Fox, one of the most discussed names this trade season. However, they could also take the opposite approach as buyers.
Fox, DeRozan, and Domantas Sabonis are all extremely talented, but they still lack a top 10-15 player that is practically required to win a championship. They must significantly bolster their supporting cast to compensate for this, making Sacramento an obvious landing spot for Grant.
One player Portland should inquire about is 26-year-old Kevin Huerter, a career 37.6 percent three-point shooter owed $16.8 million this season.