One anonymous NBA executive isn’t a fan of Jerami Grant possibly going to the Lakers. According to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, an unnamed executive doesn’t think Grant moves the needle for the Lakers, and wouldn’t even be a massive improvement over a player like Rui Hachimura.
“If they get Grant, I am not sure they are that much better as a team. It’s a bad contract. He’s a good shooter but he is not a very good defender. I am not sure he is that much better than Rui, so if you’re giving up Rui and a draft pick? I can’t see making that move. It’s making a trade just for the sake of making a trade, and that’s always unwise.”
Grant has been linked with a move to the Los Angeles Lakers recently. What makes the deal a little more complicated is the fact that the Trail Blazers do want to trade Grant and Anfernee Simons, but don’t want to accept the contract of D’Angelo Russell from the Lakers.
Grant had a good individual season with the Trail Blazers last year, as he averaged 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. But his scoring didn’t contribute to winning basketball for the Trail Blazers. This is probably why they want to move on from him, so they can begin their rebuild in earnest.
On top of that, Grant’s contract is massive, as he is currently signed on till 2027 and has a player option that could extend the deal till 2028. Grant will make a little under $30 million next season, with his salary increasing as each season goes on. Such a massive contract for a player that isn’t contributing to winning basketball can be discarded.
Will The Lakers Benefit From Grant’s Presence?
The Lakers are a decent defensive team. Anthony Davis, when healthy, is one of the best defenders in the world. And while LeBron James is no longer the All-NBA level defender anymore, he can still play stifling defense when he feels like it. And players like Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt have shown that they can be good defenders.
Grant’s defensive weaknesses could be compensated for by the rest of the Lakers. But this would mean that he has to deliver consistently as a third option offensively on a nightly basis. Grant has struggled in the past with consistency, as he seems to deliver from time to time.
His numbers look good in a vacuum, but the Lakers need to take a look at the finer details and see if Grant does actually make them a better team, especially in the tougher Western Conference. If the Lakers want to have any chance of posing a threat to the rest of the Western Conference, they need to surround LeBron and Davis with a good team.
The Grant situation is one the Lakers should keep an eye on. But there may be better prospects like Cameron Johnson and Lauri Markkanen that they should focus on more, as they would have a more immediate impact on both ends of the court.
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