NBA Trade Talk: Could Jerami Grant Be Mavs' Missing Piece?

The Dallas Mavericks have yet to reach championship contender status, but could a trade of Tim Hardaway Jr. for Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant change that?

Many expected NBA trade talks to heat up in the last couple of weeks, but for the most part, things have been relatively quiet so far. Perhaps the NBA’s recent COVID difficulties have something to do with that, or perhaps we just haven’t made it close enough to the trade deadline yet.

Could the Dallas Mavericks potentially break the silence by trading Tim Hardaway Jr. and picks to the Detroit Pistons for Jerami Grant this season?

We wrote about this specific trade idea a few weeks back, along with a second trade scenario that didn’t include Hardaway Jr. Now, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Conner is also pondering a Mavs-Pistons trade involving Hardaway Jr. and Grant.

“Just a few theoretical ideas,” says O’Conner in his recent piece. “Maybe the Mavericks could try to flip Tim Hardaway Jr. and picks.”

When the Pistons signed Grant to a four-year, $80 million deal back in 2020, the hope from both parties was that he would blossom into a true superstar that could lead his team as the top option. The Nuggets reportedly offered Grant the same amount of money to stay in Denver, but he wanted more than what his role was there at the time. And to Grant's credit, he made the leap from being a 12-points-per-game role player with the Nuggets to being a 22-points-per-game go-to guy with the Pistons this last season and a half.

The problem, though, is that despite Grant's increase in production, none of it has translated to Detroit winning many games. The Pistons finished the 2020-2021 season as the worst team in the Eastern Conference, and so far during this 2021-2022 season, they remain in that same exact position.

One thing that has changed with Detroit is their long-term (and maybe even short-term) future. Instead of 27-year-old Grant being the focal point of the franchise going forward, that spot has been taken by 20-year-old Cade Cunningham, who was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft. Will Grant be content with being moved down a notch on the totem pole while also continuing to rack up losses during the prime of his career? If the answer to that question is 'no', then maybe that's where the Mavs can come into play.

With Detroit already having their superstar of the future and looking like they're well on their way for a chance at another No. 1 overall pick after this season, maybe the rebuilding Pistons would be content with making a trade that nets them a solid veteran presence, another young prospect with promise and some draft compensation. Here is our proposed deal:

Mavs receive: Jerami Grant

Pistons receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green and a 2025 first round pick

Given how bad the Pistons have been, despite Grant's numbers, some might balk at the idea of the Mavs giving up a first round pick when the team's draft capital is already limited. However, even if Grant doesn't produce at a superstar-level in Dallas, it would still be an uptick from what the team is currently getting from Hardaway Jr. and Green combined.

The Mavs do need a true secondary star next to Luka Doncic, and maybe Grant doesn't quite meet that criteria, but it would at least be a step in the right direction. As much as Dallas loves Hardaway Jr. as a player and as a locker room leader, parting ways with him for Grant would be the right decision, given that both players make nearly the same amount of money per year.

On the Pistons' side, it was rumored that they had interest in Hardaway Jr. last offseason. Would that still be the case now that Hardaway Jr. has gotten paid and is shooting just 33-percent from deep this season? Perhaps not, but that's where the promise of Green as a rebuilding 21-year-old prospect and draft compensation comes into play.

Trying to peg NBA trades before they happen is hard, but this particular trade scenario seems like it would be one of the rare situations that would likely work out well for all parties involved. ... And it also seems as if we aren't the only ones who think so either.