With free agency right around the corner, there are a handful of players that can make a real difference for contending teams. One of those players is Jerami Grant. Last season, Grant was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. With the team likely going into a massive rebuild and building their roster around third-overall pick Scoot Henderson, there is a slim chance that Grant will stick around. In his single season with the Trail Blazers, Grant averaged 20.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 47.5% from the field and 40.1% from three. If he is able to keep up this elite three-point shooting, he could be a very useful contributor to a championship-caliber team. There are three ideal landing spots for him in free agency.
1. Sacramento Kings
The first team that would provide Grant with a great landing spot is the Sacramento Kings. Last season, the Kings shocked the NBA world and were one of the top teams in the Western Conference through the regular season. Through their run, they had one of the best-performing offenses of all time.
With Grant’s incredible outside shooting ability, he would be a perfect player the Kings could slide into the power forward spot. While this would be a bit of a small ball lineup with Domantas Sabonis at the center and be iffy at best on the defensive end, what Grant brings on the offensive end would make him well worth signing for Sacramento.
2. Dallas Mavericks
The second team that could take a shot at Grant in free agency is the Dallas Mavericks. At the end of the 2022-23 regular season, the Mavericks did not have much going for them outside of their two stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. It was clear that Dallas would have a lot of holes to fill in the roster, and Grant would be a great fit on the team.
With Dallas likely to play a traditional big at the center position, Grant would be a perfect stretch-four option. With him at power forward, there would be no issues with court spacing, and he would be an incredible second option on offense when Doncic or Irving is on the bench.
3. Boston Celtics
If the Boston Celtics were able to acquire Grant, they would have one of the strongest rosters in the entire league. With the Celtics recently making a blockbuster deal for Kristaps Porzingis, Grant would likely have to take a relatively large pay cut to join the roster, however, the Celtics would be clear favorites to win the title if they signed him.
Depending on how head coach Joe Mazzulla decides to play it, Grant could either be the starting power forward for Boston or one of the most talented 6th men in the league. If they chose to start him, Boston would be able to roll out a lineup of Malcolm Brogdon, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Grant, and Porzingus. While if he chooses to bring him in off the bench, Porzingis could be moved up to the power forward position with Robert Williams serving as the starting center.
If Grant does end up choosing to sign with Boston, they would have the talent to go on a title run and would be an incredibly difficult team to get the best off in a seven-game series.
