Blazers Rumors: Deandre Ayton Drew Past Interest; Jerami Grant Eyed for New Contract
The Portland Trail Blazers have some big decisions to make this offseason after missing the playoffs for the second straight year.
There's trade speculation and rumors surrounding superstar guard Damian Lillard. Jerami Grant, the team's third-leading scorer, is an impending free agent. The Blazers also hold the third overall pick in the NBA draft, but that's been rumored to be up for grabs.
On Friday, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports relayed some Blazers rumblings with just three weeks until the start of free agency:
"We will hear about more glamorous sign-and-trade possibilities for Phoenix. Any team with championship aspirations and All-NBA talents like Durant and Devin Booker will start shopping at the glitzier edge of the market and then work downward. Portland has valued Suns center Deandre Ayton in the past, sources told Yahoo Sports, but Phoenix is too asset-strapped for any realistic chance of prying Damian Lillard from Portland should the Blazers' franchise player ultimately seek to play elsewhere this summer.
"Lillard made notable waves this week when he told Showtime he views Brooklyn and Miami as viable destinations in the event he ever did request a trade. Rival front offices are certainly hoping Lillard plays the card he never has if Portland can't find suitable upgrades to the Blazers' roster by dangling the No. 3 pick in this month's draft. Although both franchise and superstar appear to be prioritizing building a true playoff contender around Lillard, with ongoing plans to re-sign forward Jerami Grant as well, sources said."
Of note, the Blazers apparently like Ayton, who averaged 18.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game last season. The 24-year-old, who has played all five of his seasons in Phoenix, could be on the outs with the Suns.
ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported in May that the Suns were expected to "aggressively explore the trade market for him" and that Ayton would be "excited about a fresh start with another franchise."
Ayton, who has three seasons left on a four-year, $132,929,128 contract, could certainly be headed elsewhere. Portland doesn't seem like a fit now, though, given reasons Fischer stated.
Grant could certainly find his way back into the mix, however. The 29-year-old averaged 29.5 points per game in his first season with the Blazers. He also made it clear how much he liked being in Portland.
"I definitely like it here," Grant said after the season, per Jason Quick of The Athletic.
"I'm looking forward to the talks and trying to figure something out. I definitely feel comfortable here.
"It's a family setting. Just being here for this year, I've been able to become really close friends with a lot of people on the team, a lot of the staff, lot of people here. And I think for me, that's a huge part of where you want to work, who you want to be around all year, for the next five years or whatever it might be. I think that's the biggest thing.''
Right now, the dates to watch are June 22 (NBA draft) and June 30 (beginning of period when teams can negotiate with free agents). But Portland could also be active in the trade market this year as the team tries to figure out how to best move forward after a 33-49 year.
