Lakers Should Avoid Jerami Grant Trade

Jerami Grant might not fit into Portland Trail Blazers‘ future plans.

The experienced forward is in his prime and can help a team aiming for a championship. But, Portland is focusing on rebuilding and will likely prioritize drafting new players.

Grant is seen as a trade candidate before the February 6 deadline. The Los Angeles Lakers are often mentioned as a possible destination because they need more scoring and wing creation . They also have young players that could interest the Blazers.

Trade Speculations:

An anonymous NBA executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy that the Lakers should avoid trading for Grant. But if they do, GM Rob Pelinka should make sure Rui Hachimura isn’t included in any deals. “If they get Grant, I am not sure they are that much better as a team,” said the executive. “It’s a bad contract… It’s making a trade just for the sake of making a trade, and that’s always unwise.”

Last season, Grant played 54 games with averages of 21 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field and 40.2% from three-point range.

Fans might wonder if this move would actually improve the Lakers’ chances or just shuffle pieces around without real gain.

Interestingly, Grant has never been less than a second option on offense throughout his career—even with Denver Nuggets where Nikola Jokic was first but Jamal Murray was behind him. In L.A., he would be third after LeBron James and Anthony Davis, which raises questions about how well he’d fit in.

Los Angeles will likely be active in trades closer to February to give coach JJ Redick all necessary tools for success. However, it seems like Grant may not be what the Lakers need right now.

What do you think? Should the Lakers look elsewhere?