The Portland Trail Blazers were one of the more active teams in the league ahead of the NBA trade deadline. They completed three separate trades, slashing a ton of salary from the roster.
Norman Powell, who signed a five-year deal in the 2021 offseason, CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. were both traded away despite having at least one more season on their contracts. That has opened up a ton of cap space for the team to spend this offseason to rebuild the roster around Damian Lillard.
Lillard is going to miss the remainder of the season after undergoing a procedure on his abdomen in January. He said that he hasn’t felt this good in a while, as he was unaware of how much the injury was impacting him in the last few years.
With a healthy Lillard leading the way, Portland will be looking to challenge for a postseason spot next season. With multiple first-round picks and a ton of money, this is a roster that could be upgraded rather quickly.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Latest NBA Rumors: Bradley Beal, Jerami Grant, Knicks, More
Who could the front office have their eyes on to add around Lillard? Jerami Grant of the Detroit Pistons is reportedly who Portland will be pursuing, according to The Athletic.
“The Portland Trail Blazers are expected to seriously pursue Pistons forward Jerami Grant in the offseason, sources said. Armed with the Pelicans’ 2022 first-round draft selection, the Trail Blazers will explore offering the pick should it fall between Nos. 5 and 14 in the June draft. If the pick does not fall in that range and convey to Portland this offseason, the organization’s package falls behind competing teams that are chasing Detroit’s versatile forward. Grant is eligible for a four-year, $112 million contract extension in the offseason.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Latest NBA Rumors: Bradley Beal, Jerami Grant, Knicks, More
Jerami Grant is someone that was generating a lot of interest ahead of the trade deadline, but Detroit decided to hold onto him. If the Detroit Pistons want to receive the most value in return for him, trading him ahead of or during the 2022 NBA Draft makes the most sense.
More teams will be eligible to make a trade, as the Stepien rule will no longer apply. But, as shared from The Athletic, the Trail Blazers will need a little bit of luck to have a second first-round pick convey to them this offseason.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Latest NBA Rumors: Bradley Beal, Jerami Grant, Knicks, More
Detroit and Jerami Grant do not want to end their relationship, but if the Pistons are presented with a strong offer, they will have to think long and hard about accepting it. Agreeing to a four-year, $112 million extension with a player such as Grant when Detroit is as far away from contending as they currently are, doesn’t seem like a sound business decision.
