Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver said he planned to be aggressive in all things. That was certainly true in the NBA Draft and free agency, but would it also extend to the NBA trade deadline?
Weaver’s aggressiveness could be tested as a new report indicates that Jerami Grant is a top trade target for the reeling Boston Celtics.
Grant is having a career year as a primary offensive weapon while continuing to maintain plus efficiency and rarely turning the ball over. His ability to get to the basket, reliably hit mid-range jumpers and effectiveness from the perimeter would be a great complement to Boston’s stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and would help them finally fill the giant chasm left when Gordon Hayward left for the Charlotte Hornets.
The report comes from Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Would Weaver really trade his prized free agent acquisition in year one of his three-year deal? It’s unlikely, but if Boston is desperate enough in an attempt to turn their season around, I suppose you’d at least have to listen to any can’t-refuse offers they might pitch.
I’m not sure Boston has the pieces to be persuasive, but I haven’t looked in-depth at Boston because I never imagined them as a potential trade partner. They have Robert Williams at center and it’s believed the Pistons were high on Aaron Nesmith in last year’s NBA Draft. There are no veterans that stand out as decent, tradable placeholders anywhere near what Grant offers unless you’re particularly high on the resale value of Marcus Smart, who has been limited to 17 games because of injury.
Boston has their own first-round picks, but those would presumably be pretty low, and future sections in 2021 and 2022 from Oklahoma City and Charlotte, respectively.
I don’t know, Pistons fans. Is there anything there that excites you enough at the possibility of selling high enough on Jerami Grant to flip him in year one of a reasonable three-year deal?
As for just how tempted Weaver might be, additional reporting suggests … not at all. Edward’s has his own Pistons-centric piece, and in it he makes pretty clear Detroit is not listening on Grant right now:
However, Detroit appears to have *no interest* whatsoever in trading Grant, who is averaging 23.4 points this season and is in good position to win the NBA’s Most Improved Award, per league sources.
Grant’s relationship with Weaver is very strong. It’s a big reason why the 26-year-old left a winning situation in Denver to join the rebuilding Pistons. Grant is considered a franchise building block and embodies everything Detroit wants its culture to be about moving forward.
From all accounts, Grant will be in a Pistons uniform for as long as he wants to be.
In the same reports, Sharania with The Athletic’s James Edwards reports that the Pistons are expected to eventually reach a buyout with Blake Griffin and that Wayne Ellington is expected to receive interest from contending teams.
Will that interest, likely in the form of a future second-round pick, be enough for the Pistons to trade Ellington? Would they rather keep him for the full season or would they just assume release him and let him pick his preferred destination? We shall see.
Edwards also indicates Delon Wright and Mason Plumlee have both received legitimate trade interest from other teams. There is no indication, however, that a trade is actively being discussed or is anywhere close to happening.
The NBA trade deadline is March 25. That gives Troy Reaper three weeks to radically transform his team all over again. We will bring you more if anything pops.