Kofi Inkoom
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Dallas Mavericks have joined several teams in expressing interest in Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant. Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes has proposed a trade scenario where the Mavericks would acquire Grant from Portland.
Hughes proposed the following trade:
– Dallas Mavericks Acquire: Jerami Grant
– Portland Trail Blazers Acquire: Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, 2025 first-round pick, 2031 first-round pick
Hughes argues that while some may see giving up two first-round picks for a 30-year-old Jerami Grant with a sizable contract as excessive, the Mavericks, fresh off an NBA Finals appearance, cannot afford to weaken their roster.
“Maybe you think the only two first-round picks that the Mavericks can trade are too much to give up for a 30-year-old Jerami Grant with four years and $132 million left on his contract. But Dallas could lose Derrick Jones Jr. in free agency and cannot justify reducing its overall talent level coming off an NBA Finals appearance. Framed another way: Is there such a thing as being too all-in when a team was as close to glory as the Mavericks were this past season?“ Hughes wrote.
Last summer, Grant signed a $160 million contract with Portland, but Damian Lillard’s subsequent trade request quickly changed the team’s trajectory.
Grant has been a consistent three-point shooter, defender of multiple positions, and a reliable scorer, qualities that Hughes believes would significantly upgrade the Mavericks’ roster.
“Grant has hit over 40 percent of his triples in each of the last two years, can defend multiple positions and has been a self-sufficient scorer in ways neither Jones nor P.J. Washington ever has. He’s an indisputable upgrade and could even push Jones to the bench if the springy left-hander re-signs with the Mavericks” Hughes added.
Grant played 54 games in the 2023-24 season, averaging 21.0 points and shooting 40.2 percent from three-point range. For the Trail Blazers, Hughes believes securing the first round picks would help in their rebuilding process.
“Meanwhile, Portland would land a pair of future first-rounders with bad salary attached in the form of Hardaway. That isn’t a bad outcome for a squad still in the infancy of its rebuild.”
If Portland decides to trade Grant, competition for his services is expected to be intense, despite Hughes believing his proposed trade would be advantageous for both teams. The Blazers missed the playoffs last season, while the Mavericks made it to the NBA Finals but lost to the Boston Celtics.