Despite being 8-30 in the 2021-22 NBA season, the Detroit Pistons are a team that many people will have their eyes on in the coming weeks. That is because the Pistons could have a drastic impact on the playoff picture in the league depending on how they handle the trade deadline.
Detroit has one of the best trade chips in the league in Jerami Grant. Grant bet on himself during the 2020 offseason, leaving his role as an elite role player with the Denver Nuggets to become a go-to player for the Pistons.
While the team didn’t win many games, as they landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and selected Oklahoma State point guard Cade Cunningham, Grant proved he was capable of being a go-to player for a team. Grant averaged a career-high 22.3 points per game in his first season in Detroit.
He has taken a slight step back this season, averaging 20.1 points per game on lower efficiency, but he is still someone garnering a ton of interest on the trade market.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Title Contenders Continue Calling Pistons About Jerami Grant Trade
According to The Athletic, the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers are among the suitors that are linked to him.
Several playoff teams are pursuing Pistons star forward Jerami Grant: The Wizards, Knicks, Blazers and Lakers among others, sources said. Grant is sidelined due to a UCL injury in his right thumb but Detroit will have a vast group of suitors for the 27-year-old. Grant, who is eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $112 million this offseason, is one of the most sought-after players this trade season.
In addition to the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, the Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards were also mentioned.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Title Contenders Continue Calling Pistons About Jerami Grant Trade
The Portland Trail Blazers can likely be removed from the potential suitor list, especially if they shut down Damian Lillard for an extended period of time to nurse his abdominal injury back to health.
The Washington Wizards would be an intriguing landing spot, as they have a deep rotation they could look to consolidate with an upgrade in Grant. There are numerous young players they could include in a trade package that would entice the Detroit Pistons.
New York also has the assets, but they could be spent better elsewhere. Grant is a good player, but his natural position is at power forward, where Julius Randle is entrenched. Unless Tom Thibodeau has a change of heart and will go smaller at the center spot, adding another power forward to the mix seems like a poor use of assets.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Title Contenders Continue Calling Pistons About Jerami Grant Trade
The Los Angeles Lakers are limited in the assets they can offer but will cobble together something. Jerami Grant’s injury could be an advantage for them, as other teams may lower their offers as a result. If that occurs, the Lakers can jump in with an offer built around Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn and a future first-round pick.
