Los Angeles Lakers Slammed With Bad News On Potential Trade Target

The Los Angeles Lakers have not done a whole lot this NBA offseason, which is why not many have a whole lot of hope for them entering the 2024-25 campaign.

However, the Lakers do have one potential trade target in their sights that would certainly improve their roster: Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant.

Los Angeles has been speculated as a possible destination for Grant, who is a very viable trade candidate heading into the coming season.

But do the Lakers actually make sense for the veteran?

Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey has listed Los Angeles as the worst possible fit for Grant, questioning whether or not he would actually represent a legitimate upgrade for the club.

“Grant and the Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to each other for much of this offseason, but spending their limited trade assets there doesn’t make much sense,” Bailey wrote. “Rui Hachimura is four years younger, makes about half as much money and was arguably more productive last season.”

How much would Jerami Grant help the Los Angeles Lakers?

Grant averaged 21 points per game last season, so, from a counting numbers perspective, he looks better than Hachimura, who logged 13.6 points a night.

However, an argument can be made that Grant merely put up good stats on a bad team, and Hachimura was definitely more efficient than Grant, posting 53.7/42.2/73.9 shooting splits compared to 45.1/40.2/81.7 for Grant.

Of course, there is something to be said for volume, as Grant attempted 15.7 shots per game while Hachimura took 9.9. Plus, defense matters, and Grant is unquestionably a better defender than Hachimura.

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On top of that, the Lakers are desperate. LeBron James turns 40 years old in December, so LA may really only have a one-year window. So, the point of Hachimura being younger than Grant may be moot as far as the Lakers are concerned.

All things considered, Grant would probably be a step up from Hachimura this year.

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