Blazers’ Jerami Grant is on the move in this three-team trade idea.
Jerami Grant’s trade market continues to heat up this offseason as other options come off the table. The latest is Utah Jazz star forward Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen recently signed a five-year contract extension for $238 million, making him ineligible to be traded until after next season.
So far, in trade rumors, the team most frequently linked to Grant has been the Los Angeles Lakers. However, trade talks seem to be at a standstill as Blazers’ general manager Joe Cronin has a high asking price for two first-round picks to move on from arguably their best player.
Blazers send Bucks yet another star in mock proposal
This time, the team that Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report has them trading Grant to in his latest three-team NBA trade ideas is surprising. It’s also a trade partner they are familiar with, the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks are coming off a relatively disappointing season capped off by a first-round playoff exit after having championship aspirations following their aggressive trade for Damian Lillard last summer. They could be interested in shaking up their roster to keep up with the rest of the Eastern Conference, with teams like the Knicks and 76ers getting stronger this summer with key additions.
Could a potential Lillard-Grant reunion be on the horizon? Here are the details of the blockbuster three-team deal:
Warriors get involved, trading Wiggins and Moody to Blazers
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Jerami Grant
Golden State Warriors Receive: Khris Middleton
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Moses Moody, Andrew Wiggins
This mock deal is a massive win for the Warriors. They missed out on the playoffs last season and lost two veterans, Chris Paul and Klay Thompson, this summer. If they don’t make a significant trade, Golden State could find themselves again on the outside looking in for next year’s playoffs. They have a limited window with 36-year-old Stephen Curry and 34-year-old Draymond Green. Adding someone like Khris Middleton without giving up a valuable asset like Jonathan Kuminga in the process is a low-risk, high-reward move they should make.
The Bucks are taking more of a horizontal move, as Middleton and Grant are on a relatively similar tier as players (both can be a solid third option on a playoff team). But Swartz explains why Milwaukee may be inclined to make the trade, saying, “Khris Middleton is a better all-around player than Jerami Grant, but he’s also struggled to stay healthy in recent years and had arthroscopic surgeries on both ankles this offseason. If the Bucks have any hesitations about Middleton’s ability to stay on the court, swapping him for Grant (who’s also two years younger) makes sense.”
The Bucks and Warriors are surprising trade partners in this mock three-team deal, but both make sense as teams that need a roster shake-up after disappointing 2023-24 seasons. But the question remains: is this enough of a return for Grant for Cronin and the Blazers to pull the trigger?
Grading the Trail Blazers’ mock trade
This isn’t an appealing trade idea for Portland because, as a rebuilding team, their main priority in moving an established player like Grant should be to receive draft capital. Cronin has typically accepted offers that were a combination of players and picks, but there’s not a single pick coming back for Grant. It seems highly unlikely that Cronin would go from wanting two first-round picks to accepting a deal without a rising star or a single pick in the package.
The Blazers should pursue 22-year-old Moody in a trade, as he fits into their rebuilding timeline and would address their poor three-point shooting. But he’s also on an expiring deal and could demand a lot for his next contract as a restricted free agent, which has to be factored into the deal.
Swartz notes that “Portland saves money by swapping Grant (four years, $132.4 million) out for Wiggins (three years, $84.7 million)”, but the Blazers should avoid Wiggins. They don’t need to make a noticeable downgrade deal to save money since they are already under the luxury tax. It would be much harder to find suitors to flip Wiggins than Grant; it would be one thing if Grant’s contract scared teams away, but he still seems to have a market around the league, making a swap for Wiggins unnecessary.
Since the Blazers already have all 15 roster spots locked up, they’d also have to cut a player or make an additional move, which isn’t worth the headache. With no draft picks involved in the mock proposal, the Blazers would be wise to avoid this one at all costs.
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