AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Jerami Grant Trade Rumors: NBA Championship Contenders 'Routinely Calling' Pistons

Scott Polacek

Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant is under contract through the 2022-23 campaign, which likely doesn't exactly line up with the team's potential competitive window as it builds around rookie Cade Cunningham.

That means it wouldn't be particularly surprising if the 27-year-old is moved, and James L. Edwards III of The Athletic reported "teams with championship aspirations are routinely calling Detroit about Grant's services."

Grant was a role player early in his career for the Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets, but he has turned into a game-changing presence for Detroit ever since it landed him in a sign-and-trade prior to last season.

He averaged 22.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per game in 2020-21 and has remained a go-to option with averages of 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 blocks a night this season.

The Syracuse product is a matchup problem because of his ability to stretch the floor and could take advantage of the spacing playing alongside other stars on contenders would create.

From the Pistons' perspective, he is their best moveable asset in the early stages of the rebuilding process. Cunningham clearly won't be moved, and Edwards suggested second-year players Killian Hayes, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart will likely stay put as well.

Edwards pointed to the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies as potential landing spots for Grant.

Atlanta and Indiana are both on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, and Grant is someone who could help change that while playing alongside either Trae Young for the Hawks or Domantas Sabonis for the Pacers.

The Grizzlies are the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, and adding a pick-and-roll element with Ja Morant and Grant would make them even more dangerous to the league's best teams.

Then there is Chicago, which has the best record in the Eastern Conference at 24-10. Grant could help maximize this current window with 32-year-old DeMar DeRozan playing some of the best basketball of his career and give the Bulls another scorer next to Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic with Lonzo Ball facilitating.

That is a daunting proposition for the rest of the East if it did come to fruition.               

   

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