Kofi Inkoom
As the offseason approaches, one of the pressing questions for the Portland Trail Blazers is what to do with forward Jerami Grant. Grant’s potential to significantly boost a competitive team has led to suggestions that the Blazers should consider trading him.
As a result, Zach Buckley of the Bleacher Report has proposed a trade scenario where the Memphis Grizzlies acquire Jerami Grant from the Portland Trail Blazers this summer.
The trade involves the Blazers sending Grant to Memphis in exchange for Luke Kennard, Brandon Clarke, and a lightly protected future first-round pick.
Grant played 54 games for the Blazers this season, averaging 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, with impressive shooting percentages. Despite Portland’s 21-61 record in the 2023-24 season, the Grizzlies also faced challenges, finishing with a 27-55 record.
Buckley emphasized in his NBA trade analysis, “Portland has more than a few useful veterans to flip for long-term assets, and Grant sits at the top of that list,” Buckley wrote in his NBA trade article. “Sure, he’s overpaid and over his skis as a first option, but as a potential finishing piece for a team like Memphis, he could still have significant value”
“Even if the Grizzlies didn’t plan on keeping one (or both) of Kennard and Clarke, they’d do well to nab a lightly protected future first and get Grant’s contract off their books. While some might argue for a trade involving Anfernee Simons, given the overlap between him, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, Simons’ value shouldn’t be at risk of declining any time soon, so Portland could delay that deal until it’s more obvious what it needs to eventually start winning again.”
Grant is set to earn $29.8 million next season and has career averages of 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. If the trade materializes, the Grizzlies could potentially form a formidable “Big 4” alongside Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane, with Grant joining their ranks.