Jerami Grant was given a huge contract by the Portland Trail Blazers this summer hoping that he’d play alongside Damian Lillard. All the dreams of the Blazers came shattering down when Damian requested a trade to the Miami Heat as soon as the NBA free agency began.
Now, the Blazers would be desperate to trade the power forward. The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be his next destination. It’d be exciting to see if the Blazers manage to complete this deal before the trading window shuts down. Here’s all the information you need about the deal!
What are the Laker offering for Jerami Grant?
The Blazers would receive Rui Hachimura, Taurean Prince, Jarrett Vanderbilt, and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick in exchange for Jerami Grant. Damian’s departure was expected, but the team thought they would be able to convince him again, but it didn’t happen. This deal looks good for both the teams, and both would like to grab what’s being offered to them.
Jerami Grant is a future player to monitor on the trade market, per @MikeAScotto
“Another trade candidate to monitor down the line will be Jerami Grant, who agreed to a five-year, $160 million deal with the Blazers before the team received word that Lillard wanted out of… pic.twitter.com/VZSR4Q28sa
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 2, 2023
Why would the Lakers like to do the deal?
If we look at arrivals and departures of the deal from the Lakers’ point of view, until and unless Hachimura pulls off something out of the blue, signing Jerami Grant is a steal deal for them. But if the unthinkable happens, the Lakers might regret giving their star away in the near future.
The Lakers would like to strengthen their squad and do all the experiments for the post-LeBron era while he’s still there. Grant is the perfect fit for the team and can do wonders with LeBron James, and in case that happens, the Lakers might become unstoppable.
If Damian Lillard lands with a team other than the Miami Heat, he won't report to training camp, per @MarkG_Medina
"‘He just wouldn’t go,’ a person familiar with Lillard’s thinking told Sportsnaut. ‘He just wouldn’t report.'… ‘I don’t think the other team would trade for him… pic.twitter.com/ETxLoXRUMH
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 7, 2023
Why would the Blazers like to do the deal?
Jerami is an expensive signing who was made to assist Damian Lillard in the first place. They had hoped that they would go for the title with two of them creating havoc all over the floor, but sadly Damian had other plans.
Hachimura and Vanderbilt are two great players. They would add up a lot to the team’s skill set. The Blazers would also get a future pick swap; all this summed up might make them feel glad about signing Grant.
The deal is far from being completed, but it’s a steal for both teams. It’d be exciting to see where Jerami plays this season. We’ll bring you updates as soon as we get any.
