Aug 17, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; Denver Nuggets’ Jerami Grant, left, drives against Utah Jazz’s Georges Niang during the first half in game one of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at The Field House. Mandatory Credit: Ashley Landis/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Pistons agreed to sign free-agent forward Jerami Grant to a three-year deal after a strong playoff showing with the Nuggets.
Jerami Grant is on his way to Motown with a big payday in the bag.
The Detroit Pistons are signing Grant to a three-year deal worth $60 million, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Grant turned down a player option that would have given him $9.3 million next year if he stayed with the Nuggets, and he reportedly turned down an identical three-year offer from Denver, preferring an expanded offensive role in Detroit.
The Pistons are hoping Jerami Grant continues his strong push.
From Grant’s perspective, the new contract is a big win. However, there will be debates around whether Detroit overpaid for the 6-foot-9 forward out of Syracuse in an already crowded frontcourt.
He averaged 12.0 points per game last year while shooting 47.8 percent from the field. Those aren’t incredible numbers, but he proved his worth as an all-around contributor for the Nuggets, especially in the playoffs. As a capable scorer and defender, he proved attractive enough for Detroit to pursue him.
The Pistons have already been active in the free-agent market, especially when targeting big men. They picked up center Mason Plumlee, as well as Jahlil Okafor. That’s after trading for Dewayne Dedmon from the Hawks.
The extra bodies in the frontcourt are necessary as they rebuild from the ground up. They let Christian Wood leave on a sign-and-trade to the Houston Rockets.
This will be Grant’s fourth team since he entered the NBA in 2014 with the Philadelphia 76ers, who drafted him 39th overall. He didn’t really take off until the 2018-19 season, when he posted career-best averages of 13.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.