The Portland Trail Blazers are re-signing Jerami Grant to a five-year, $160 million deal, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. The Blazers landed Grant in a trade with the Detroit Pistons last offseason with the expectation that he could fill their long-standing hole on the wing. He ultimately averaged 20.5 points per game in his first season in Portland, but the team missed the playoffs and ultimately earned the No. 3 overall pick in the NBA Draft.
Grant set himself up for this hefty payday all the way back in 2020. Rather than re-sign with the contending Denver Nuggets, he chose to jump to the Detroit Pistons, a team that could give him more shots. That allowed him to develop as an individual scorer, which made him a more appealing proposition to teams across the spectrum. Aaron Gordon, who was essentially acquired as Grant's replacement, got only a four-year, $86 million deal in Denver.
All eyes in Portland are on Damian Lillard, however. The longtime Blazers superstar has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason. The Blazers have made it clear that they want to build a long-term winner around him. He has not yet requested a trade, with reports indicating that he wanted to see what the Blazers could do to improve the team in free agency. Bringing Grant back is helpful, but it does not meaningfully improve last year's roster. Presumed target Draymond Green has re-signed with the Golden State Warriors, and difference-makers elsewhere are dropping like flies.
Only time will tell what Lillard thinks of this move and any others Portland makes. For now, the Blazers are keeping arguably their second-best player from last season with one of the biggest contracts we'll see this offseason.
