Jerami Grant will opt out of his contract and while he is hoping to return to the Nuggets, other teams will pursue the wing in hopes of prying him from Denver.
The Pistons, Mavs, Hawks, and Suns all have their eye on Grant, who had a strong postseason, particularly in the Nuggets series with the Lakers. Denver is expected to heavily pursue the 26-year-old with Mike Singer of the Denver Post throwing out estimates for $14-16 million annually.
Let’s take a look at how Grant would fit on each team speculated to have interest, ranked from best to worst:
Mavericks: Adding Grant to the frontcourt rotation with Kristaps Porzingis and Dwight Powell unlocks a bevy of possibilities for Dallas on both ends of the floor. The Grant-Porzingis frontcourt would provide even more spacing in the offense and on defense, Grant has the ability to take on the oppositions’ best playmaker on the wing, joining Dorian Finney-Smith as another lengthy defender to throw at opponents.
Pistons: Detroit has the money to make Grant an offer he can’t refuse, entering the offseason with upwards of $38 million in potential cap space. Pairing Blake Griffin with someone capable of spacing the floor and playing solid defense (two staples of Grant’s game) in the frontcourt is the team’s best course for maximizing the value of their pricey former dunk champion.
Suns: Dario Saric found his niche with the Suns late in the season and while they could certainly bring him back, adding Grant would be a massive upgrade at the power forward spot if the team wants to insert a little more size into their starting lineup. The Ricky Rubio–Devin Booker–Mikal Bridges–Cameron Johnson–Deandre Ayton was great down in the bubble and Kelly Oubre is slated to return, though a forward with the capability of playing the four full-time remains their biggest need.
Hawks: Atlanta would be an intriguing fit for Grant. The franchise has rising star John Collins in the frontcourt alongside new addition Clint Capela. Surely, Grant could come off the bench, though if I were Atlanta, I’d look to use my nearly $50 million in cap space to take on a less favorable contract (Andrew Wiggins comes to mind if Golden State needs a third team to facilitate a trade) along with an asset in a trade rather than overspending on a good but not great player like Grant.
