Aside from who the Detroit Pistons will select in Thursday’s NBA Draft, the biggest thing on the minds of most has been the future of Jerami Grant. Well, the day we’ve all been waiting for has arrived as the Pistons dealt the forward to the Portland Trail Blazers for a package that, well, has received mixed reviews.
But first, the details from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
The Bucks’ pick is protected 1-4, and the deal includes Detroit acquiring the Portland Trail Blazers’ No. 36 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft for the Blazers’ at No. 46, as well as a 2025 second-round pick back that Detroit had owed Portland, sources said. The Pistons also get a 2026 second-round pick from the Blazers, which will be the most favorable between Portland’s and the New Orleans Pelicans’.
It’s a lot to digest. Let’s get to figuring out what happened and where we go from here.
1. So, Jerami Grant is finally on the move. What was your initial reaction?
Sean Corp: Finally, it’s over! Second reaction was more complicated. I wanted to see more value from Grant, and he would have fetched more last offseason. But obviously the Pistons were eyeing that trade exception and the ability to ship Grant out without taking anything in return with zeal. They wanted the cap space. They better have a plan for the cap space. Also, if I were to rank worst-case scenarios, I’d say 1. Extend Grant, 2. Trade Grant for a different middling veteran with bad long-term money, 3. Keep Grant as an expiring into the season, 4. What we saw tonight. So … I’m good. It’s over!
Laz Jackson: That feels low. But, per James Edwards III of The Athletic, that’s the best formal offer Detroit received for Jerami. I know #7 was probably out of the question for Portland as soon as the lottery ended, but the Pistons didn’t HAVE to trade Jerami to Portland (or at all). I like Detroit getting their own 2nd round pick in 2025 back, I bet the Pistons have a player in mind at 36 that wouldn’t be available at 46 (Ismael Kamagate? Hometown Hero Caleb Houstan? WinnerGuy Christian Braun?), and there’s always the 2% chance Giannis breaks a wrist or something and that 2025 pick is much better than we imagine. I just don’t like relying on outside chances to derive value from trades.
This is classic Detroit Troy Weaver though. One part relationships over asset plays (gotta trade Jerami someplace he wants to go instead of holding on until someone gets desperate when the music stops), one part valuing his scouting acumen (Keegan Murray can do 80% of what Jerami does already! And we can make him better than Jerami once we get him in-house!), one part Crazy Like A Fox (we could absolutely look up in September and the starting lineup is Cade, Bridges, Bey, Murray and Ayton, which is a … very nice blend of youth, athleticism, and skill).
Troy couldn’t even get Nassir Little in here. Cmon.
Brady Fredericksen: Not great, Bob! I was underwhelmed, but thought it was the Blazers’ pick in 2025. Then I realized it was the Bucks pick and went from confused to frustrated. I’m sure there’s a plan, but after sitting back and looking at it holistically, it’s still not great.
Ben Gulker: So, I guess Jerami Grant isn’t worth a lottery pick then? I wasn’t expecting this.
Ben Quagliata: Initially it was the classic “is that all?” Stepping back, I can’t grade this until we see what Weaver does with the cap space, whether that’s getting someone like Ayton, Brunson, Miles Bridges or Collin Sexton in free agency or using the space to absorb a bad contract for assets.
Chris Daniels: Nope.
2. How, if at all, does this trade impact who Detroit selects with the No. 5 pick on Thursday?
Sean Corp: Not in the least. They probably knew with 90% certainty this deal with Portland was happening even before the draft lottery. They probably knew at the trade deadline last season like we all speculated. They were going to trade Jerami regardless, and they’ll pick whomever they think is the best player regardless. Weaver’s building his roster using his “process.” Final grade TBD.
Laz Jackson: Oh, hey, there’s fire behind all the Keegan Murray smoke the Pistons beat writers have been observing.
Brady Fredericksen: God, I hope not. I think it’s still between Jaden Ivey, Keegan Murray and Bennedict Mathurin. There is absolutely no need to draft Murray because they traded Jerami. This team is far from a spot where they should be drafting for positional need. They need talent. The same logic applies to Ivey or Mathurin eating up Killian Hayes’ minutes. Go get better players. I also think opening up more minutes for Saddiq Bey at PF will help to alleviate some of his defensive limitations.
Ben Gulker: This looks more like it impacts free agency than the draft, and the draft comes first, so I don’t think much… unless there’s another iron already in the fire.
Ben Quagliata: I doubt it. The team is still far too bad and young to let anything besides “best player available” be their draft strategy.
Chris Daniels: Nope.
3. Detroit’s plan is still a bit blurry from the outside, what does this move say about GM Troy Weaver and the Pistons’ plan this offseason?
Sean Corp: I think this means they are obviously going to try and sign Deandre Ayton, though this leaves me less confident they have a wink-wink deal with the Suns, because that probably would have involved Grant. Now, it feels like they’re ready to call Phoenix’s bluff. Threaten to sign Ayton to an offer sheet and dare them to match on a player who doesn’t want to be there. Or you offer that Milwaukee 1st, Kelly Olynyk and say take it or leave it. That’s obviously not the best deal the Suns would be offered for Ayton’s services, but if he is for some reason set on signing in Detroit then maybe the Suns say yes and don’t risk a bad vibes locker room.
If they match anyway then the Pistons better be willing to trade some of this $40-plus million in cap space for some bad contracts and future assets to whichever team is foolish enough to sign Kyrie Irving. Those assets then just get folded into the evaluation of the value of the Grant deal. Right now it’s … a C+ to a B-? How this plan shakes out through this offseason could make Weaver look like a genius or an absolute idiot. Can’t wait to find out which.
Laz Jackson: They are pretty clearly (and from multiple reports, reportedly) going to go after Ayton HARD. After that? I’m not so sure. Do they swing for two big FA signings? Do they sin-eat a D’Angelo Russell or a Danny Green? Do they try and pick up an established young vet, do the Jerami Grant Experience over again? I don’t know. I just know Cap Guy Anthony Leotti just became the most important dude you hadn’t heard of in Detroit.
Brady Fredericksen: It says they want cap space — either to take on bad deals with assets attached or to spend in free agency. I’m on record (a lotttt) that cap space in Detroit is not the sexy draw it is elsewhere. It’s not attractive to the high-level talent you want to spend on. It’s proven to be an avenue to overpay for mid-tier talent. That was a Dumars and SVG problem. Weaver will probably try to go big game hunting for Ayton and Brunson. If he gets them? Great! I’ll happily eat crow. I just don’t see two winning players, both about to enter their primes, coming to Detroit.
Ben Gulker: I’m a little stunned to be honest. I am not surprised a trade happened, but I am surprised *this* trade happened. I was hoping Weaver would be patient this summer, but maybe this point to something bigger happening than I was anticipating? Blurry is the right word. I am feeling very uncertain.
Ben Quagliata: Well, see my answer for #1. I think this trade and the plan tie in in theory. Whether it works as planned, I guess we’ll see.
Chris Daniels: Nope. But then again, I like having a guy who seems a bit f****** nuts and keeps you thinking (hoping?) he continues pulling off out-of-nowhere stuff like the Jerami poaching.
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As always, we want to hear from y’all in the comments, Spill your guts. Vent. Comment through it. Afterall, we still have the freaking draft to get through!
1. So, Jerami Grant is finally on the move. What was your initial reaction?
2. How, if at all, does this trade impact who Detroit selects with the No. 5 pick on Thursday?
3. Detroit’s plan is still a bit blurry from the outside, what does this move say about GM Troy Weaver and the Pistons’ plan this offseason?