Jerami Grant Trade Rumors: Pistons Provided with List of PF’s Preferred Destinations

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

While it remains to be seen whether the Detroit Pistons will trade forward Jerami Grant this season, he and his representatives reportedly provided the team with a list of destinations he would prefer if there is a move.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (h/t RealGM) discussed the developments:

“He still wants to sign a contract extension this summer. I think he’s eligible for one over one hundred million. If he gets traded somewhere, he wants to get traded somewhere he’s going to get paid.

“I was told his representation came to the Pistons and said ‘If you’re going to trade him, here’s a list of teams we would be interested in going to play for.’

“The Pistons are not even sure if they’re going to trade him, much less trade him to one of those teams.”

Thanks to the play-in tournament, which extends all the way to the No. 10 seed in the respective two conferences, most teams are still well within playoff contention ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline. That could mean there are fewer deals as clubs look to hold on to their veteran playmakers for a potential postseason push.

The Pistons are not one of those teams.

Detroit entered Tuesday’s game against the Denver Nuggets with an 11-35 record, which puts it 11.5 games behind the 10th-seeded Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference. It is building toward the future with rookie Cade Cunningham, so trading the 27-year-old Grant could help accelerate those efforts with draft picks or younger players.

Grant is also the type of player who could step into the rotation for a contending team and make the difference between an early playoff exit and a title push.

He is averaging 20.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals a night as someone who impacts the game in a number of ways. He also posted a career-best 22.3 points per game last season in Detroit and can shoot from the outside or score near the blocks.

The Syracuse product has been a go-to option for the Pistons the past two seasons, but he also has experience as a secondary role player from his time on the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder.

That should allow him to fill whatever role a contending team that trades for him will need if he is moved ahead of the deadline.