Blazers GM Slammed by Anonymous Scout

Matt Levine | Aug 8, 2024

The Portland Trail Blazers have been one of the more talked about teams this offseason, in part due to the roster having some veteran pieces that could be traded off. The main piece that Portland has had talks over is forward Jerami Grant.

Grant has been connected with the Los Angeles Lakers for the majority of the offseason but the two sides haven't been able to come to terms on a deal. Los Angeles has been hesitant to give up too much for Grant due to his heavy remaining contract, while Portland general manager Joe Cronin has set an asking price of two first-round picks.

Los Angeles only has two first-round picks to work with in any trade talks so moving them both for Grant is extremely unlikely. Grant is worth one first alongside some players but Cronin has reportedly been firm in his trade discussions.

An anonymous scout spoke with Lakers Daily's Anthony Irwin and seemed to slam Cronin over his handling of the Grant trade.

“Joe Cronin asking for two first-rounders for Jerami Grant is hilarious,” said the same scout. “Portland traded one first for him and then gave him that terrible contract. Why would he be more valuable now than he was when they landed him two years ago? But it’s what you can do when you feel like the other team is desperate.”

While Grant is still a solid player in the NBA, his contract is a massive hindrance to whoever trades for him. Grant is still on the books for four seasons, with him scheduled to earn $29.7 this coming season.

His salary only goes up each of the next few years, culminating with him scheduled to earn $36.4 million as a 33-year-old. The presence of Grant would immensely help the Lakers right away as they try to maximize the final years of star LeBron James before his retirement.

Cronin knows this and has been using the Lakers' desperation to the advantage of the Trail Blazers. However, by doing so, he also runs the risk that the Lakers walk away from trade talks entirely.

If the two sides could come to terms on the Lakers sending one first-round pick and maybe even a pick swap for another first, maybe a deal could be struck. There is still plenty of time between now and the start of training camp but Cronin may need to ease up on his asking price just a little.

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