Woj: Jerami Grant's $160M Blazers Contract to Be Signed Despite Lillard Trade Request

Star point guard Damian Lillard requested to be traded from the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, but it reportedly won't affect the status of another veteran on the team.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Lillard's trade request "doesn't change Portland's intention to sign Jerami Grant to the five-year, $160 million contract agreed upon Friday."

Grant was expected to be one of the top wing players on the open market before he opted to remain in Portland on a long-term deal. Last season was his first with the team after being traded from the Detroit Pistons last summer.

In his first year with the Blazers, Grant appeared in 63 games and averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting a career-best 40.1 percent from beyond the arc.

Grant seems to have found a permanent home after a long and winding NBA career. He began with the Philadelphia 76ers after being drafted in the second round in 2013. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016 and then to the Denver Nuggets in 2019 before signing a three-year deal with the Pistons in 2020.

Despite retaining Grant, the Blazers were not expected to be among the top contenders in the Western Conference next season. Lillard has stated that he hopes to compete for a championship at this stage in his career, which likely influenced his trade request.

Grant will now be the veteran leader of a young Portland team. The Blazers selected impressive combo guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 pick in this year's NBA draft, so they should have a bright future while they try to rebuild without Lillard.