Hindsight is 20/20. It’s easy to look back and recognize a mistake. The same holds true for NBA teams. With the benefit of hindsight, they may see a decision that they should have made. Unfortunately, it’s too late to make that decision now.
The Portland Trail Blazers may be using their hindsight right now. This summer, the Blazers opted to extend Jerami Grant. The extension made sense – if they were going to proceed with Damian Lillard. Now that he’s demanded a trade, Grant’s contract is problematic. If the Blazers are going to undergo a long-term rebuilding process, they don’t need a veteran like Grant on a long-term contract.
At the same time, this isn’t a huge concern. Grant is a useful player – if the Blazers make him available, they’ll find a number of suitors. Could the Los Angeles Lakers be one of them?
The Trade Proposal
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: F Rui Hachimura, G Gabe Vincent
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F Jerami Grant
Hindsight may be 20/20. Foresight is much murkier. It isn’t easy to anticipate what’s going to happen. Yet, that’s exactly what NBA teams try to do. A general manager with foresight will make the right moves – whether we see it at the time or not.
Did the Lakers use foresight when they extended Hachimura? We can’t answer that question – doing so would require foresight. It’s worth noting that Hachimura was surprisingly impactful in last year’s playoffs. Why was Hachimura’s impact surprising? Well, the bulk of his NBA career to date did not indicate that he was capable of playing as well as he did.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Will he maintain that pace of play? We don’t know. If he does, the Lakers won’t be interested in moving him near this year’s trade deadline. If he doesn’t, should the Lakers flip him for Grant?
Why The Los Angeles Lakers Do The Deal
Sure. Frankly, if Hachimura is on Grant’s level next year, the Lakers will be in a wonderful position. That’s extremely unlikely. So, the question is, how impactful will Hachimura be? After all, there’s a downside to this deal for the Lakers. They will be getting significantly older.
It could be a deal worth making. Grant is a solid shot-creating forward who can guard multiple positions and space the floor. He’d be the Lakers’ third option, and that’s a role that Hachimura is likely unequipped for. This should be a tremendous upgrade to the team’s roster.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The Lakers wouldn’t want to rush into this deal. Thankfully, they can’t anyway. With Hachimura and Grant both on extensions, they’re subject to trade restrictions until near the deadline. If the Lakers are rolling, they’ll hang onto their young forward. If they’re not, should the Blazers bail them out?
Why The Portland Trail Blazers Do The Deal
Meanwhile, the Blazers will want to monitor Hachimura too. For this deal to work, he has to hit a sweet spot in his production. If he’s as productive as he typically was on the Washington Wizards, they’ll look for more in return for Grant. Meanwhile, if he’s as productive as he was for the Lakers in the playoffs, the Lakers may not want to move him.
Let’s split the difference. If Hachimura looks like a quality player long-term, but not the potential cornerstone that he appeared to be last year’s playoffs, this deal should work for both sides. Provided that Portland is rebuilding, they should be happy to land that version of Hachinura. This rebuilding team has ample young talent in the backcourt, but they’re light on young wings.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Sure, Portland could likely land an unprotected first for Grant. Isn’t a young player at a position of need equally valuable? If the Blazers like Hachimura, they’ll be interested in this deal. If they make it, they may not regret the Grant extension in hindsight after all.
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