Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant has been mentioned as a potential trade target of the Los Angeles Lakers for some time now. A 6-foot-7 forward, Grant is effective and versatile on the defensive end, and he has also become a legitimate scoring threat on the other end.
He averaged 21.0 points a game while hitting 40.2% of his 3-point attempts this past season. If he would accept a somewhat reduced role as a third or even a fourth option in Los Angeles, perhaps he could play a major factor in getting the team back to championship contention.
However, the price may not be right as far as the Lakers are concerned. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Portland wants two first-round draft picks for Grant.
The Trail Blazers are seeking two first-round picks in any trade involving Jerami Grant, per @jovanbuha (https://t.co/T3jtqy9mZD).
The Lakers have maintained interest in Grant, but they don’t currently appear willing to meet Portland’s asking price. pic.twitter.com/UDFw3eRuvt
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) July 28, 2024
The Lakers have a limited amount of draft capital available for use in a trade. When one considers they have other roster deficiencies besides a two-way wing, perhaps giving up two future first-rounders for Grant, a player who has never been named to the All-Star team, may not be the best idea.