Los Angeles Lakers May Feel Pressured To Trade For This Rival Forward

The Los Angeles Lakers could definitely afford to add another piece alongside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, especially after being bounced from the first round of the NBA playoffs this past spring.

The problem is that the Lakers have a very shaky financial situation and have not been able to make any significant moves this offseason as a result.

However, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus thinks that Los Angeles may feel pressured to add a certain Western Conference rival: Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant.

The Blazers should feel very motivated to move Grant. He has three years remaining on his deal and then a player option for the 2027-28 campaign and is making $32 million in average annual value.

But obviously, Portland is not feeling it is getting equal value in trade talks at the moment.

Pincus notes that the Lakers currently don’t want to surrender their pair of future first-round draft picks in 2029 and 2031 but that that could change if the Blazers hold out until the trade deadline.

Jerami Grant would be a terrific pickup for the Lakers

While Grant may not transform Los Angeles into a legitimate title contender, he would absolutely make the Lakers a better team.

Last season, Grant played in 54 games and averaged 21 points and 3.5 rebounds over 33.9 minutes a night on 45.1/40.2/81.7 shooting splits.

The 30-year-old has averaged over 20 points per game in three of the last four seasons, topping out at 22.3 points per game with the Detroit Pistons in 2020-21.

Over the course of his career, Grant has registered 13 points per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent from three-point range.

Grant’s game has become more valuable in the modern NBA landscape, as he can guard multiple positions and can play either forward spot.

We’ll see if the Los Angeles Lakers make a serious push for him this year.

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