The Detroit Pistons will reportedly trade Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers, per ESPN, and they didn’t have to trade their first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
This was a bold move by Portland’s front office, which as of recently, is led by general manager Joe Cronin and assistant general manager Mike Schmitz. Grant, who averaged 19.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last season, is a valuable addition to the frontcourt for the Blazers.
Damian Lillard, who isn’t running from the grind and is expected to stay with the organization rather than ask for a trade, will benefit from Grant’s addition to the team.
But not everyone on the roster was immediately thrilled about the move.
Damn why he got to have my number? https://t.co/MXtsn7MFFU
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) June 22, 2022
Josh Hart was acquired by the Blazers back in February, and he literally swapped houses with former Portland forward Larry Nance Jr. after the deal.
Hart wore No. 11 when he join the team, and ESPN’s edit of Grant on the Blazers depicted him wearing that exact number. The craziest part: Grant didn’t even wear No. 11 on the Pistons! He wore No. 9 in Detroit and on the Denver Nuggets, too.
Cronin called Hart a “keeper” and the former Villanova star is expected to remain with the organization during the post-CJ McCollum rebuild. With such seniority, you would expect he would be able to keep his number rather than swap it out for someone who may not even want it.
For what it’s worth, if Jerami were to change his number, he may have a fun incentive. Jerami’s father, Harvey, played for the Blazers in the 1990s. During that time, he wore No. 44, so perhaps Jerami may want to rock it as a tribute.
