Jerami Grant could be on the move despite signing with the Pistons just one year ago. According to Marc Stein, there is a “rising belief” that Detroit will trade him ahead of the February 10 trade deadline. Grant is a veteran who can help many good teams, making his current fit in Detroit questionable both short and long term. The Pistons’ timeline doesn’t align with Grant’s as it may take a while until the next great Pistons team is here.
Although Pistons’ general manager Troy Weaver has a strong relationship with the 6-foot-8 forward dating back to their days in Oklahoma City, it makes sense in the long run to trade him. Detroit currently holds the worst record in the league and is in the midst of a long rebuild around Cade Cunningham. In a league where teams put a premium on versatile wing players on team-friendly contracts, it’s no surprise there is so much interest in Grant. There is a good chance that an interested team overpays for him due to the scarcity of players with his skill set available for trade.
Jerami Grant Real-Time Contract by ProFitX
Another reason the Pistons might want to move on from Grant now is that he is set to become extension-eligible in the 2022 offseason. He will be eligible for a maximum of four years, $112.7 million that would pay him an annual rate of $28 million through his age 33 season. He’s playing with a Real-Time Contract of $25.2 million according to ProFitX. However, this is with him playing as one of the first options on the Pistons. If traded, there’s a strong chance it’s to a contender where he becomes the fourth or fifth option like he was as a Nugget. A diminished role might not help with his chances of getting a raise but his new team should still want to extend him, perhaps at around his current rate.
Given their rebuilding state, the Pistons will likely seek first-round pick compensation and young players with potential in return for Grant. Another possible objective for Detroit is if they want to generate more cap space for the 2022 offseason. They are currently projected to be able to generate up to $30 million in cap space with Grant’s $21 million salary.
Here are some examples of the types of packages Detroit might be looking at for Grant: