Trade Grades: The Jerami Grant Deal and Others

For a player that has averaged 20.9ppg in his 2 seasons in Detroit, there really wasn’t much there and it shows in the return of what Detroit was able to get back. Let’s look at the deal.

Pistons get:
2025 first-round pick (via Milwaukee Bucks)
No. 36 pick in 2022
2025 second-round pick
2026 second-round pick

Trail Blazers get:
Jerami Grant
No. 46 pick in 2022

Sure they were able to clear a massive amount of salary, but it’s Detroit and a bad team. How valuable is that actually going to be outside of taking on bad contracts and getting paid a few picks to do so. The 1st Round pick they acquired is pretty far out and it could come at a time the Bucks might be in flux so that does have some potential. You just don’t know, and at this point would expect Antetokounmpo to still be there and rocking. That said it’s still not the return you expect of a 6-8, defensively versatile 21ppg wing that plays pretty solid enough D (87th DRPM). The reason is pretty simple, Grant is about as empty a stat guy as you could create in a lab on a woeful team.

Grant however was a valuable part in Denver and we know he can play the 3 and D role player part fairly well on a good team. He didn’t seem satisfied or to want that role and went to Detroit to be a leading man. Surprisingly he was actually far more effective at scoring than I would expected (.556 true shooting) and played decent defense and shot 3’s decent, he just did very less that mattered on the court. Terrible rebounding, facilitating, hustle stats etc. It’s kind of hard to averaged 20+ppg with a decent True Shooting and still have a 16 PER. At least now he should be getting back to what he is good at, the old fit in term Lebron coined. Just be a fit in dude and know your role.

Portland has tried for years to put guys like this around Lillard with Covington, Aminu, Harkless etc. Grant seems to be the next up at the price point they could afford. It is what it is, I think the move makes a lot of sense for both sides. Detroit didn’t need a 28 year year 3 and D role player masquerading as a #1 banana on their timeline. It was a value signing and they now get the likely marginal rewards from it. Grant is young enough, on a decent enough contract, and a decent enough 3 and D role player or even 3rd option if that’s all he’s asked to do in Portland. Portland is in the chase the play in game perpetually while keeping a diminished Lillard so this is about as good as you reasonably can expect with the ammo they had. I think they both accomplished what they were tasked to do pretty well in this trade. Detroit A- vs Portland B+

The Knicks and Picks, a wild night of trades from New York.

Oklahoma City Thunder get:
Ousmane Dieng (No. 11 pick in 2022)

New York Knicks get:
2023 first-round pick (from Detroit via Oklahoma City; top-18 protected)
2023 first-round pick (from Washington, via Oklahoma City; top-14 protected)
2023 first-round pick (from Denver, via Oklahoma City and New York; top-14 protected)

OKC was drowning in picks so consolidation isn’t the worst from their perspective, especially if you get a player you really like. They REALLY like Dieng apparently, you have to to give up three 1st rounders in the next years draft even if only 1 is likely to convey. Washington is still trying to win and could end up conveying. The Knicks are more in win now mindset and start building a little war chest to make a trade as well as to start clear some cap space to go after Jalen Brunson. New York: A- vs Oklahoma City: C+

The Knicks immediately flipped the Denver pick to the Hornets in Trade #2 and threw in some 2nd to get a later first and get off Kemba Walkers money while kicking the 1st rounder can down the road 2 years.

New York Knicks get:
2025 first-round pick (from Milwaukee, via Detroit; top-four protected)

Detroit Pistons get:
Jalen Duren (No. 13 pick in 2022)
Kemba Walker

Charlotte Hornets get:
2023 first-round pick (from Denver, via Oklahoma City and New York; top-14 protected)
Three 2023 second-round picks (via New York, Utah and Dallas or Miami)
2024 second-round pick (via New York)

Let’s talk about the established former All Star first, he’s not good anymore. This was apparently the price to get off of basically 9+ million dollars of his salary. That seems pretty steep if you ask me to take on a 1st rounder that is farther out than what you are sending out as well as and four 2nd rounders. Would those 2nd rounders have ever amounted to anything? Probably not, but they are cheap roster spots most teams still value some. Out of 4 one of them probably can help some as well. New York: C+

The Pistons will reportedly try to buy out Walker but having him around as an older vet around Jaden Ivey and trying to rehab him a little and trading him at the deadline seems like a better path to me. I absolutely love what they did getting Duren who was one of the youngest players in the draft and I think should have been drafted higher. Trading a future pick 3 years out likely in the 20’s and taking on as little as 9 million of bad salary you could perhaps rehab some if you tried or at worst buyout seems like a steal for me. Detroit A+

As far as Charlotte, I don’t know what they were thinking. The pick next year is likely in the 20’s and to trade away the 13th pick for a worse 1st round pick and four 2nd rounders doesn’t seem like a good return to me. Charlotte C-

76ers get:
De’Anthony Melton

Grizzlies get:
David Roddy (No. 23 pick in 2022)
Danny Green

The 23rd draft pick is the price you pay to get off off Danny Green’s 10 million next year of dead money (out with an ACL). I think the 76ers did pretty well to get back a useful player in return as well. This makes less sense for Memphis. They must have really liked Roddy but his fit seems questionable. Melton was a 24 year old valuable 6th man on a value 9 million dollar contract for the next 2 years. Why shake the boat here with what was working. Taking on bad money, getting a worse player this year likely. Philadelphia A- vs Memphis D+

Timberwolves get:
Walker Kessler (No. 22 pick in 2022)
TyTy Washington Jr. (No. 29 pick in 2022)

Grizzlies get:
Jake LaRavia (No. 19 pick in 2022)
Future second-round pick

I love this for the Timberwolves. I think Kessler and Washington were better talents than where they were drafted and I’m more skeptical of LaRavia to start, much less a 2nd round pick. I don’t know where it will end up but it would need to be a high 2nd rounder to make sense. Minnesota: A vs Memphis D+