What To Do With Jerami Grant

Jerami Grant is entering the final year of his deal with the Pistons so some decisions about him need to be made. Should he be a part of the future in Detroit or should he be traded? There are certainly teams out there who will be interested in him so general manager Troy Weaver has a tough decision to make about the 6-8 wing.

There were teams interested in Grant last year, but he obviously remained a Piston throughout the campaign. Those talks are going to continue over the summer and into next year until the Pistons either move him or re-sign him. 

Grant signed a three-year, $60 million deal in 2020 and is now eligible for an extension. The 28-year old is a solid player, but may not be exactly what the Pistons are looking for in terms of his growth and impact on the payroll. Weaver recently said that Grant still fits in with what they're trying to do in Detroit, but also openly acknowledged that teams were interested in Grant at the trade deadline last season, just not quite interested enough.

Grant was asked about the possibility of getting an extension with the Pistons, and he smiled and said, "Hopefully they go well." Obviously signing a new, extremely lucrative contract is something Grant is hoping for, so it's really going to come down whether Weaver and Casey see a productive future with Grant as the rebuild continues or not.

Now, it's playoff time for the types of teams that would most likely be interested in Grant. Teams that need one more piece to get over the hump are the ones that would trade for a player like Grant. He's long enough to defend several positions and shoots from the outside at a high clip. Those kind of players are valuable on established playoff teams ready to compete for a title. Weaver knows that and is already expected to work the phones sooner rather than later.

"I don't anticipate it being an avalanche but I'm sure teams after the playoffs maybe will say, 'We can add a player or two,'" Weaver said. "Maybe the phone rings a little more? Not sure. The landscape of the NBA changes weekly, so we'll see."

I like Jerami Grant as a player, but I personally think it behooves the Pistons to trade him either for a younger (cheaper) player and draft capital or just several draft picks alone. Grant is going to command a lot of money that I think could be better used to build up the roster in Detroit. 

If Weaver and the Pistons do decide to keep Grant, however, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. He currently fits in very well at that 3 spot with Cade Cunningham and Saddiq Bey at the 1 and 2, but that fit could change in a big way depending on how the draft goes. If the Pistons were to draft a player like Jaden Ivey, it makes no sense to keep a player like Grant. If the Pistons are able to grab Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero or Jabari Smith, Grant makes a little more sense, but so does moving him and adding other, additional pieces.

It's going to be really interesting to see how it all plays out and so far, Weaver has done a good job with the roster in Detroit. If he nails this Grant situation and the draft, the Pistons are going to compete for a playoff spot next year.