The Portland Trail Blazers are ready to spam the hard reset button.
Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports this week that Blazers forward Jerami Grant is expected to become available before the NBA trade deadline. This comes after the Blazers officially triggered a rebuild on Wednesday by trading away longtime veterans Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic.
The 29-year-old Grant is a fine two-way bludgeon who averaged 20.5 points per game on 40.1 percent from three last season as a long, 6-foot-8 combo forward. But the Blazers had the misfortune of signing him to a cyclopean five-year, $160 million deal this offseason … days before Lillard officially asked out from the team. Now Portland is stuck with an albatross on the books as they try to start from scratch and build around fresh talent.
Since Grant was just signed to a new contract this offseason, the Blazers cannot trade him until Jan. 15. But once that date passes, expect Portland to do everything in their power to unload Grant (perhaps even engaging with this previously-rumored suitor for him).
