Kofi Inkoom
Blazers’ Jerami Grant appears to be a likely candidate for a trade before the deadline.
However, both he and the Portland Trail Blazers, as per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report, are not looking forward to parting ways.
Following the recent trade involving Pascal Siakam on Wednesday, teams that missed out on Siakam may now shift their focus to Grant, a 29-year-old forward with comparable offensive skills.
Despite trade rumors, Grant expressed contentment after Wednesday’s close game victory over Brooklyn, telling Highkin that he’s pleased with his current situation since signing a five-year, $160 million contract last summer.
“You definitely see it,” Grant said of the trade rumors. “But it’s not anything in my control. I’m cool here. I’m good with what I’m doing. Keep my head down and keep working, keep trying to help the young guys as much as I can. But it’s definitely something you see. It’s not something you can do anything about, especially since I just signed a deal. I’m here for as long as they want me.”
Instead of fully adopting a youth-oriented strategy, the Blazers’ leadership, according to Highkin, intends to keep specific experienced players to guide the up-and-coming talent.
highlights that general manager Joe Cronin is cautious about a situation similar to Detroit, where a lack of such mentorship has resulted in a 4-37 record.
Cronin prefers the Houston approach, akin to recruiting four seasoned players in free agency last summer, leading to contention for a play-in spot.
De Andre Ayton’s Potential Return
Blazers’ starting center, Deandre Ayton, was expected to make a comeback against Brooklyn on Wednesday after sitting out the team’s last 11 games due to a knee problem.
However, Sean Highkins reports that Ayton couldn’t reach the game due to icy conditions in Portland. It’s anticipated that Ayton will be ready for the Friday matchup against Indiana.
More on the Blazers
In an attempt to address the Trail Blazers’ consistent slow starts, head coach Chauncey Billups experimented with a different starting lineup on Wednesday.
The 19th starting five this season consisted of Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons, Malcolm Brogdon, Duop Reath, and Jabari Walker.
Billups explained after the game, as reported by Highkin, that the initial intention was to replace Scoot Henderson with Shaedon Sharpe, but Sharpe’s absence due to an abdominal injury altered the plan.