LOS ANGELES, CA – With the holidays approaching, the NBA is in the middle of a wild time right now. COVID cases are rising at a rapid and sudden pace leading to postponed games and an uncertainty of the type of impact these outbreaks will have on the season moving forward.
However, it’s not just COVID cases that are on the rise, trade rumors are also beginning to run rampant with some of the game’s biggest talents potentially on the move. Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard Ben Simmons, who has not played this season, continues to be the center of such rumors.
Other teams like the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and Portland Trail Blazers could also be on the verge of blowing up their teams.
Even Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant, who is currently sidelined for the next six weeks with torn ligaments in his thumb, is on many teams’ wish lists including the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers (15-13) are coming off of an impressive weekend with dominant wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic. However, the roster is flawed and the team has been wildly inconsistent through the first quarter of the season.
One of the issues for the Lakers has been a lackluster perimeter defense from the wing position. Outside of LeBron James, the guards and wings are either undersized or not committed to the defensive end. Even when they get veteran forward Trevor Ariza healthy, it’s hard to believe he will make a significant difference in short minutes.
Grant could solve many of those issues for the Lakers. He’s a combo forward who can defend multiple positions, making him a solid fit between Anthony Davis at the five and James at the three. Grant can switch out on to guards on pick-and-rolls and with his length at 6’8, he can even disrupt the passing lanes.
Offensively, Grant has made tremendous strides becoming the Pistons’ go-to guy in his first two seasons there averaging 20 points per game and making 33 percent of his three-point attempts. He’s more than capable of providing floor spacing next to AD and LeBron and can even be a number one scoring option at times.
Grant has quickly blossomed to an All-Star-caliber player; last year he finished second for Most Improved Player and won a gold medal with Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics. Not to mention, he has playoff experience playing in the postseason during his time in OKC and Denver and has played alongside other stars like Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Nikola Jokic, and Jamal Murray.
The question for the Lakers and their front office is do they believe the 27-year-old Grant makes such a difference on this particular roster that they are willing to part ways with a young talent like Talen Horton-Tucker.
THT would be the only player outside of James, Davis, and Westbrook that teams would find attractive enough to entertain a trade. The Lakers re-signed him this past summer on a three-year, $38 million deal believing he can be a key part to their future while also helping them win another championship.
However, Horton-Tucker has gotten out to a slow start after recovering from a similar thumb injury as Grant. His adjustment to playing alongside the Lakers’ Big Three has been a struggle, he hasn’t quite made the defensive impact that many were expecting, and now he could miss a few weeks in health and safety protocols.
A package of Horton-Tucker and perhaps one other piece and a few draft picks might be enough to pry Grant out of Detroit. He’s in the middle of a three-year, $60 million contract that runs through the 2023 season, so the Lakers wouldn’t just be getting a rental.
GM Rob Pelinka is doing his due diligence right now about how to improve this team that has struggled thus far.
A trade for Grant isn’t likely going to happen considering the Lakers’ lack of trade assets and the Pistons’ high asking price. However, these trade rumors show that Pelinka might not believe this squad has enough to make a run to the Finals, and is trying to find that missing link like Grant to get this team on track.
