The Los Angeles Lakers had another frustratingly quiet offseason. GM Rob Pelinka added Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart, and Deandre Ayton after losing Dorian Finney-Smith in free agency. It's hard to argue that these signings will be enough for the Lakers to go from a first-round exit team to a championship contender.
Lakers fans who were hoping for a bigger splash will have to wait a little longer. This is something the fanbase has grown accustomed to during the LeBron James era, as the front office has time and time again refused to put all their trade chips in for immediate upgrades.
One of those immediate upgrades the Lakers were reportedly interested in for a long time was veteran forward Jerami Grant. The 31-year-old has long been a rumored trade target for the Lakers, but a deal never materialized. Now, the Portland Trail Blazers are reportedly considering benching him ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. This signals a big fall from grace for Grant.
Jerami Grant Benched by the Blazers Ahead of New Season
The biggest hurdle for Grant in any trade discussions is his player-friendly contract. He will make $32 million next season and is under contract for two more seasons after that. Considering Grant's level of production last season, this is one of the worst contracts in the league.
Grant played only 47 games last season, and averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 32.4 minutes per game. His miserable 52.3% True Shooting, mostly due to his disastrous two-point shooting, made him an ineffective offensive player. Combine that with his decline on the defensive side of the ball, and it's understandable why the Blazers are benching him in favor of Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara, who are far superior players at this stage of their respective careers.
The Blazers have struggled to find a trade partner for Grant, and his demotion will only lower that possibility. However, this presents an opportunity for the Lakers.
LA has a slew of bad contracts in Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, and Maxi Kleber, which they can use to match salaries in a trade. Perhaps the Blazers would give up additional draft capital to entice the Lakers to take on Grant's bad contract. If that happens, the Lakers should think about whether they can revive Grant in a more competitive situation.