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The Los Angeles Lakers receive: Jerami Grant and Duop Reath
Portland Trail Blazers receive: D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick (via LAC)
The Lakers have been surprisingly quiet this offseason. Sure, they brought new coach JJ Redick out of the commentary booth, made perhaps the biggest deal of the draft in Dalton Knecht, and made a history-making pick late in the second round, but the “bigger or bigger swing” Lakers fans were promising after an uneventful trade deadline never materialized.
However, there is still time to make a deal to raise the salary cap, and signing Grant could be one of those things.
His stats have been somewhat inflated in recent seasons due to playing for some basement kids, but there aren’t many ways to quibble with his 21 points per game average in 2023-24 when he’s enhanced by an efficient shooting percentage of 45.1/40.2/81.7. His volume would decrease playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but Grant could become more efficient on offense and more active on defense.
As a third option – or even fourth if Austin Reaves breaks through – Grant is more than suited for the job. He could function as an almost turbocharged three-and-D forward, offering more power and scoring ability than one would normally expect under that label.
In this hypothetical trade, he would also be accompanied by the intriguing Reath, who would have a real chance to take on the role of backup 5 behind Davis. Reath made a lot of noise last season as a 27-year-old rookie, especially with his unique mix of three-point shooting (2.6 per 36 minutes with a success rate of 35.9 percent) and blocking (1.1 per 36 minutes).
Portland is probably now eager to get rid of the expensive contract Grant signed last summer –Right before Damian Lillard left – and LA has emerged as a possible landing spot.
The Blazers would have little use for Russell beyond his expiring $18.7 million salary, but could covet Vanderbilt as a defensive complement to Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. Portland could also take a closer look at Hood-Schifino, last year’s No. 17 pick, and add two draft assets to help the post-Lillard rebuild.
