WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 01: Jerami Grant #9 of the Detroit Pistons looks on against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on March 1, 2022 in Washington, DC, After the Jerami Grant trade, what is next for the Portland Trail Blazers?. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement, After the Jerami Grant trade, what is next for the Portland Trail Blazers?. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
The offseason is well and truly here, kicking off with a seismic trade that will have far greater implications than what many may believe.
As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday, “the Portland Trail Blazers are acquiring Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant for a protected 2025 first-round pick and additional draft assets”.
On complete face value, Portland fans should be thrilled, Detroit fans will be dumbfounded, and other teams’ fans will probably wonder what there is to care about. Grant had been linked to the Trail Blazers for quite some time, yet most believed any potential deal would have to include Portland’s seventh-overall pick in the upcoming draft.
After the Jerami Grant trade, what is next for the Portland Trail Blazers?
Instead, they got their man for a 2025 top-four protected first-round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks. While Giannis Antetokounmpo remains fit and healthy at the franchise, you’d expect that pick to convey to somewhere in the mid 20s.
It leaves many, including Pistons fans, questioning why they received so little value for a player who’d created so much buzz going back to before the mid-season trade deadline.
Grant appears like a good fit in Portland, giving superstar Damian Lillard a reliable wing who can shoot (shot above 35% from three in each of the past four seasons), defend, and even give you a little bit of shot creation (although these opportunities will dip next to Lillard).
Still, as good a deal and fit as it may seem from a Portland perspective, Western Conference rivals won’t be losing any sleep. As constructed, the Trail Blazers look like a team who will compete for a playoff spot rather than one with any major championship hopes.
But maybe this Grant deal is simply the first domino to fall in a big offseason in Portland. They still have the seventh pick, which according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, may be used in a deal to…
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