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Jerami Grant Trade Rumors: Lakers, Knicks, Blazers, Wizards Among Interested Teams
January 10, 2022
Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant is reportedly "one of the most sought-after players this trade season," according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers are among the teams interested in the 27-year-old.
Grant has missed the last month due to a thumb injury, but he remains a hot commodity after averaging 20.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 24 games this season.
The Pistons announced on Dec. 17 that he underwent surgery to repair the UCL in his thumb and will be re-evaluated in six weeks (via Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix). It could allow for a return at the end of January or early February, ahead of the Feb. 10 trade deadline.
Grant has proved to be an impact player when healthy, especially in 2020-21 when he averaged 22.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He was second in voting for the NBA's Most Improved Player award behind only Julius Randle.
It still hasn't been enough to help the Pistons, which struggled to a 20-52 record last year and remain one of the worst teams in the NBA this season at 8-30.
This could force Detroit to trade Grant, who is owed about $21 million in 2022-23 and is eligible for a four-year extension in the offseason worth up to $112 million.
Grant is obviously a hot commodity after proving he can be a go-to scoring option with the Pistons, although he has also shown the ability to be an elite role player for a contender.
He helped the Denver Nuggets reach the Western Conference Finals in 2020 as a third scorer behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, while he also thrived during his three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, reaching the playoffs each year.
The versatility could make him a fit anywhere, whether he needs to be a scoring threat or a two-way role player on a top team.
The Knicks could be an interesting destination after their slow start (19-21), potentially adding much-needed scoring depth and help on both ends of the court. The Lakers (21-20) could also use Grant, but the salary cap could force the team to part with LeBron James, Anthony Davis or Russell Westbrook to make a deal work.