Blazers News: Expert Skeptical of Long-Rumored Jerami Grant Trade

One expert is skeptical about a particular deal for Jerami Grant.

One of the more interesting parts from the Portland Trail Blazers offseason has been the "will they, won't they" with veteran forward Jerami Grant. Grant is one of the few veteran players on the rebuilding Trail Blazers roster that many expected the franchise to trade away this offseason for future assets.

So far, no deal has been made but Grant has seen his name in multiple trade rumors all offseason. The most common one comes between Portland and the Los Angeles Lakers.

However, the hesitancy of the Lakers to include more than one first-round draft pick has held the deal up for months. Los Angeles has reportedly been willing to include one first-round pick in the deal, with Portland general manager Joe Cronin holding firm on his strong asking price.

Many see Grant as an ideal fit for the Lakers, given his ability to known down 3-point shots and play defense. However, one expert sees Los Angeles as a terrible place for Grant to end up.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report considers the Lakers to be the worst landing spot for Grant if he is dealt. He also mentioned that Portland could elect to keep Grant around during the rebuild.

"They should be devoting as much playing time and reps as possible to Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Deni Avdija, but they have a 30-year-old Grant making $29.8 million this season (on a contract that runs through 2027-28, when he has a player option). There's value in having a veteran presence around a rebuild, but the Blazers should at least be seeing what's out there for Grant," Bailey writes.

If Portland wants to move Grant, there are a few other teams who could be interested. Bailey mentions the Memphis Grizzles as a team that could make sense to go after Grant. But the biggest issue with him is his contract, where he is on the books for four more seasons, with his salary increasing each year.

The Lakers make sense for Grant but they seem to be holding strong on the potential return for him.

It remains unknown if the two teams are still talking about the potential for a Grant trade at this time but there is plenty of time before training camp starts. There is also the trade deadline that could see these two sides come together to finally get a deal done.

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