Why Trading For Grant Makes Sense For The Trail Blazers

Damian Lillard is a terrific player. In fact, he is probably a Top-10 player in the league when he is healthy given his ability to score and create opportunities for others around him offensively. 

However, Lillard cannot carry this team alone and that has been very apparent in the last few years, as both he and McCollum had been unable to take the Trail Blazers deep into the playoffs other than once in 2019. 

Trading for Jerami Grant does not immediately make the Portland Trail Blazers a championship-contending team in the Western Conference, but he fills a major hole this team has on the wing and at the power forward position, allowing them to continue building a long-term, sustainable core while still being a noticeable threat in the West. 

The Trail Blazers need players that can help them on both ends of the floor and Jerami Grant is definitely this kind of player. His defensive skills get overlooked from time to time given that Detroit is a bottom-tier team in this league right now, but prior to joining the Detroit Pistons, Grant made a name for himself being a hard-nosed defender on the wing with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets. 

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: This Pistons-Blazers Trade Features Jerami Grant

Being a 20-plus point per game scorer on the wing next to Damian Lillard and making an impact defensively as well, Jerami Grant truly is the best trade target for the Trail Blazers in the offseason. 

Entering the final year of his contract, Portland would be able to negotiate a new long-term extension on their terms with Grant and his contract would line up with that of Damian Lillard’s and Anfernee Simons’ new contract, that is assuming the Blazers re-sign Simons as a restricted free agent in the offseason. 

Portland has the assets for Jerami Grant, they have the cap space and most importantly, they have a void at the forward positions on their roster, which is why this would be a perfect move for them to make.