The Los Angeles Lakers have been trying do whatever that is possibly to improve this team that came into the year with high expectations after trading for Russell Westbrook. It has not worked out so far.
The franchise has been exploring a way to land Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant, but the feeling doesn’t appear to be mutual. Grant doesn’t want to be the third wheel behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis, per Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus.
As you can see, the lack of winning is not the issue, rather he does not want to have the same role as Kyle Kuzma, who ultimately took a ton of criticism despite his role being changed once Anthony Davis came on board.
Grant, who has averaged 21.6 points and 4.7 rebounds over his last two seasons, considers himself as a star in the league, Pincus said on “The NBA Chats” podcast.
“He left Denver to become a primary offensive player on a team. That’s how he views himself, right or wrong,” Pincus said. “I don’t think he wants to go back to being what he was in Denver, which was the primary defender and a catch-and-shoot guy. Playing in a corner, 3-and-D — I just don’t think that’s what he wants. That’s going to limit the number of teams that go after him.”
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“I’ve actually heard Lakers have passed on Jerami Grant,” Pincus said. “That he doesn’t want to play a tertiary role behind LeBron and AD. The Lakers would also have to invest big money (extension) in him. There’s also the issue of return value for a rebuilding Pistons team.”
NBA reporter Marc Stein said the Lakers offered Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn and a 2027 first-round pick for Grant, per Kevin O’Conner of The Ringer, but the Pistons declined.
“Maybe there’s a way to make it happen but I don’t think Detroit values [Horton-Tucker] the way the Lakers need to,” Pincus wrote on January 24. “You’d have to do a multiteam trade to get Detroit something they do value.”
The 27-year-old is expected to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2022-2023 season.
