Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends Blazers' Jerami Grant to Lakers

Should Portland look into something like this?

The Portland Trail Blazers will enter the new season looking to build upon their 21-61 record. They entered the offseason looking to potentially move some of their more veteran players but have so far only been able to move guard Malcolm Brogdon.

Portland still has a few pieces that could net them some assets for the future including veteran forward Jerami Grant. Grant has been subjected to trade rumors all offseason with the majority of them including the Los Angeles Lakers.

Los Angeles has been looking for a way to build out its roster alongside stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis before another title run. Grant could help fill a need for the Lakers but the two sides haven't been able to come to any agreement.

This is mainly due to the Lakers' resistance to giving up more than one first-round draft pick. Portland has asked for two first-rounder picks in any deal, a hard line that they haven't been willing to walk down.

However, if the two sides can continue talking, there is a chance that a deal could be struck. In a new proposal by Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report, Grant is sent to Los Angeles and Portland gets a nice haul in return.

In the deal, Portland would receive forward Rui Hachimura, guard Gabe Vincent, rookie guard Dalton Knecht, and a 2029 first-round draft pick. This is probably about as good as Portland will get for Grant, especially with his massive contract.

He has four years left on his deal, coming in this season scheduled to make $29.7 million. Each year, his salary increases, with his final year scheduled to pay him $36.4 million as a 33-year-old.

Landing a young forward to replace Grant in Hachimura could benefit the Trail Blazers. Hachimura is younger than Grant and is on a more team-friendly deal.

Landing Vincent could give Portland a nice veteran presence in the backcourt and they could always flip him at the trade deadline or in the offseason. He will be on an expiring deal after this season.

The big piece to this trade would be Knecht, who Los Angeles took at No. 17 in the 2024 NBA Draft. He was projected to be a lottery pick but fell due to concerns over his age. But Knecht could be a valuable piece for the Trail Blazers rebuild moving forward.

All in all, this could be a nice haul for Portland if they were to move Grant. There is still time for the two sides to come to terms on an agreement and the framework of a deal could look something like this.

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