The Indiana Pacers may be beginning to flip the page on their campaign after a slow and discouraging start to the 2021-22 NBA season, but it seems like some are still not convinced that the team has what it takes to make some noise in the Eastern Conference with their current roster.
In fact, Bleacher Report recently listed down one trade target for every team, and penciled in that the Pacers should attempt to modernize their play style by breaking up their big man tandem in Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis despite the frontcourt combination starting to find its footing as an effective outlier in today’s game.
Bleacher Report suggests that the Indiana Pacers trade for this player
"Jerami Grant could deliver both while also giving the Pacers a better defensive option for throwing at big wing scorers. Conversely, the Pacers could help him restore his offensive efficiency by dramatically upgrading the playmakers and scoring threats he has around him."
It’s not difficult to see why Jerami Grant is a viable trade target for the Indiana Pacers on the surface. Not only did he register a career-year after a near All-Star caliber play last season with the Detroit Pistons, but he seems like a good fit with the Blue and Gold, at least on paper.
Given the Pacers’ recent encouraging signs, however, it is probably not the time to disrupt the team’s longed-for chemistry after injury-related instability stemming from from last season. Should Indiana even consider trading for Grant? Let’s find out what it could cost Indy and if they should pull the trigger on a hypothetical deal.
What could the Indiana Pacers field in a hypothetical deal for Jerami Grant?
With Jerami Grant making $20 million per season, the Indiana Pacers have a lot of ways they could go to field an offer for the Pistons tweener.
Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Caris LeVert could all work salary-wise in a one-on-one exchange, as their salaries are not far off from Grant’s. More so, all three players are enticing enough for Detroit to seriously consider pulling the trigger, though the Pacers should have leverage on Sabonis and Turner.
TJ Warren, if coupled with Jeremy Lamb, could also work. After all, both players are far from being indispensable with the club at this point and are in the last year of their contracts. The only one in that salary range who can’t be offered in a deal is Malcolm Brogdon, who’s insulated from being dangled away after recently signing a contract extension.
Ultimately, should the Indiana Pacers seriously consider fielding one of the abovesaid offers on their part to poach Jerami Grant away from the Detroit Pistons?
Should the Indiana Pacers trade for Jerami Grant?
In theory, Jerami Grant is a highly versatile forward whose defensive ability is inarguable, with a much-improved and bigger offensive repertoire to boast on a nightly basis. Better yet, he’s on a very reasonable contract, and should thrive without the headlights seen in bigger markets, as he’s routinely performed better without the glitz and glimmer.
However, part and parcel of what allowed him to tally such robust stats (21.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.8 assists so far with Detroit) with his club is the Pistons’ utmost lack of a true go-to option. From that perspective, he’s been up-and-down and could be better off in a more streamlined role, as his 42.7 shooting from the field donning a Pistons jersey leaves a lot to be desired.
With Grant operating the best as a power forward, it would mean that the Indiana Pacers will have to part with one of Turner and Sabonis. Warren, Lamb, and some sweeteners could be a viable route to take, but having him as your starting small forwards seems like a spacing disaster, with Grant shooting a tad below league average from downtown on moderate volume.
Problem is, trading Turner, who’s been having a career-year so far, seems like malpractice. Trading Sabonis, meanwhile, will cause the Pacers to lose their best rebounder, interior scorer, and perhaps their biggest threat offensively with his well-rounded offensive profile.
At the end of the day, I don’t see the Indiana Pacers moving what they can to pursue Jerami Grant in a trade. While it could be possible if the Blue and Gold fails to gain much traction as the season runs its course, at this juncture, this should safely remain in the realm of hypotheticals.