The Los Angeles Lakers have limited options to add talent via trade, but one possibility is acquiring Jerami Grant from the Portland Trail Blazers. ESPN’s Zach Lowe suggested that a trade for Grant might be imminent.
On the July 26 episode of “The Lowe Post,” Lowe implied that the Lakers trading for Grant is likely. “Should we start printing the Jerami Grant-Lakers jerseys, by the way?” Lowe asked. “Should we just do it now? I think… I might order one.”
At 30 years old, Grant doesn’t seem to fit into the long-term plans of the rebuilding Trail Blazers. He is set to begin the second year of a five-year, $160 million contract. The Lakers could match his contract with players like D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, and Jarred Vanderbilt. The main question is what the Trail Blazers will demand in return for Grant.
Since the Lakers are under the NBA’s second tax apron, they can combine contracts to match Grant’s in a trade. Grant has averaged 20 points per game over the past four seasons but has never been an All-Star. He has also played for a playoff contender, such as the Denver Nuggets during their 2020 Western Conference Finals run.
**High Cost for Jerami Grant: Executive’s Insight**
A Western Conference executive discussed Grant’s appeal with Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney, highlighting both his strengths and the challenges of acquiring him.
“Jerami Grant can play; he is a shooter and an active defender when engaged. He contributes in various ways, but he is a third option. His impressive stats have come from playing on poor teams. Teams are reluctant to trade significantly for a player who scores 20 points on a bad team and 13 on a good one,” the executive explained in a July 7 story.
The executive also noted the financial aspect, saying, “Grant is expensive. He will earn $30 million next year, $32 million the following year, and then even more in subsequent years. You can’t pay your third option $34-35 million. If Portland wants teams like the Lakers or the Heat to take him, they need to acknowledge that.”
**Trail Blazers Uninterested in D’Angelo Russell for Jerami Grant**
Another issue with a potential Grant-Lakers trade is who the Trail Blazers would want in return. The Athletic’s Jovan Buha explained why Portland isn’t interested in Russell.
“I’ve heard Portland doesn’t want D-Lo because they have an abundance of guards,” Buha said on his podcast “Buha’s Block” on July 26. “So, it just doesn’t really make sense for them.”
Russell’s expiring contract in 2025 could be appealing in a trade, but he doesn’t fit well with the Trail Blazers’ current roster. A multi-team trade could be a solution, with Russell moving to a team looking to win now, like the Lakers, while the Trail Blazers get other assets they need. The Lakers clearly seek additional help to strengthen their roster.
