Detroit Pistons: Utah Jazz looking for a player like Jerami Grant

The Utah Jazz recently lost their veteran wing, Joe Ingles, to a torn ACL.  Now, as the Jazz, who currently sit with a 32-21 record, look around the Western Conference understand they need to add a capable replacement ahead of the trade deadline.  This is where the Detroit Pistons enter the chat.

The 34-year old Ingles has spent all eight of his NBA seasons with the Jazz, which includes some real lean years.  Ingles mentioned that he’d like to continue playing following his knee surgery that won’t just end this season, but the pending free agent is expected to miss the first half of next season as he continues to recover and rehab.

Hopefully, Utah doesn’t forget all that Ingles gave their organization and take it into consideration this offseason by rewarding him with a contract.  In the meantime, the Jazz are expected to move Ingles’ contract to free up cap space in any deal they hope to make ahead of the February 10th NBA Trade Deadline.

The Detroit Pistons don’t need to trade forward Jerami Grant, who is in the middle of his three-year deal that averages $20-million per season, but general manager Troy Weaver would be wise to strike while the kettle is hot.

This is a Detroit Pistons team that will build around rookie phenom and first overall pick Cade Cunningham.  This went from being Jerami’s team to Cade’s the second Detroit won the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery.  That doesn’t imply the two couldn’t gel and work together, but the Detroit Pistons need all of the draft capital and youthful prospects they can find, so who not push their biggest trade chip to the center of the table while his value is the highest it’s ever been?

Is Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant the missing piece for the Utah Jazz?

Utah is looking for a wing that is an above-average perimeter defender ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline, and Jerami Grant fits that mold perfectly.  The bonus for Utah, Grant has term remaining on his current deal.

Recently, Grant mentioned that he’d like to secure a four-year $100-million extension this summer.

Grant also mentioned that he wants to maintain a significant role on offense whether he remains with the Detroit Pistons or is traded elsewhere.  This one sort of hurts, Grant willingly joined the Detroit Pistons shortly after Weaver accepted the GM role.  Grant wanted to be a focal point on offense after being buried on Denver’s bench and relegated to being a defensive specialist and role player.  Grant blossomed offensively over the past two years in Detroit, posting career-highs in year one averaging 22.3 points 2.8 assists in nearly 34 minutes per game.

The Pistons forward has been limited to just 27 games due to a thumb injury but has played well since his return.  In 2021-22, Grant averages 19.6 points, 4.6 boards, shooting 41% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc.

Utah needs to surround star center Rudy Gobert with another imposing defender; Grant fits the bill.  The Jazz is led offensively by their sensational guard Donovan Mitchell, averaging over 25 points per game.

By adding Grant, the Jazz would likely shift Royce O’Neale to the bench, starting Mitchell, Gobert, Grant with Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley.

Here’s the complicated part.

The Detroit Pistons require a pair of first-round picks and a promising young player in exchange for Grant’s services.  Utah doesn’t precisely have the young player Detroit is hoping to land.

Although Grant is perfect for Utah, I don’t see the Jazz offering enough to land Detroit’s talented forward.