Trade Idea Sends Blazers PF Jerami Grant to Hawks

ThePortland Trail Blazerssigned Jerami Grant to a five-year deal this offseason hoping he would continue to be a complementary player alongside Damian Lillard. Less than 24 hours later, those plans changed when Lillard requested a trade.

While the Blazers are probably happy to have a player like Grant in the fold, the role he’s set to play is definitely a little different than what expectations suggested. That’s why the Blazers may find themselves in a position to trade Grant once he becomes eligible for a deal on Jan. 15.

Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz suggests that the Blazers could deal Grant to theAtlanta Hawksfor De’Andre Hunter and a first-round pick.

For Portland, Hunter, 25, fits the timeline better and is a cheaper option (four years, $90 million compared to Grant’s five years and $160 million). He should immediately become the team’s starting small forward while the Blazers collect an additional first-round pick in the 2024 draft.

The Hawks are certainly in win-now mode with Dejounte Murray and Trae Young entering their primes, and last year’s opening round exit should have Atlanta seeking upgrades. While Grant would be a slight upgrade over Hunter, it may not be worth the spike in price.

That being said, the Blazers would certainly get the better end of the stick with this trade by acquiring the pick and Hunter, a former top-five selection himself.

BE community, what do you think of this trade idea? Chime off in the comments below.