The New York Knicks are knocking on the door in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and they might need to get an additional piece to help them steady the ship and get into the playoffs for the second season in a row.
With Derrick Rose gone until February and players going in and out of COVID protocols, the team is looking for all the help it can get.
Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant, a player who has flourished in a bigger role after coming over from the Denver Nuggets, is a player that’s on the radar of various teams around the league, is being looked at by the Knicks.
A report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania says the Knicks, Wizards, Blazers and Lakers are all looking at a potential trade for the Pistons star. Grant is currently sidelined with a thumb injury, but that hasn’t slowed down interest from around the league.
With the team experiencing a bit of a logjam at the power forward position, a trade for Grant doesn’t seem to make a ton of sense on paper, but he’d definitely provide a lot to any team who acquires him.
There’s a chance that any team who does acquire him will be able to retain long-term control as well since he’s eligible for a 4-year extension after the season.
What Can the Knicks Offer?
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If the Knicks did want to acquire the 27-year-old forward, it’d likely require them to part with one of their young pieces. The Pistons are in a full-blown youth movement led by Cade Cunningham, so the team will likely be looking for more players to grow alongside him.
An obvious choice here would be Obi Toppin as he’s still on his rookie deal, and the Knicks would need to free up minutes at the power forward position to make way for Grant, so the most obvious choice would be trading one of them.
There are likely a variety of packages that can be worked out, but all of them will most likely include some sort of young, rising star for the Knicks. This means that the team would have to take a step back and look at whether or not this roster can compete in the east.
Is It Worth It?
GettyDetroit Pistons star Jerami Grant corrals a rebound during a game against the New York Knicks,
On paper, the Knicks would be a much better team with Grant in the lineup, but it was also thought that they would be better with both Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker, but things haven’t panned out that way.
In fact, Walker was so bad for the team at one point that he was removed from the lineup complete. Grant has proven he can provide a lot to a team, but it has come on a horrific Pistons team, so there are still questions about him playing a big role on a winning team.
Obviously, it’s tough to tell what he’ll be able to bring to the table until he’s on a team with more talent, and the Knicks could definitely be that opportunity for him. It just comes down to the type of package New York would put together and if it’d be worth giving up the talent to get him.
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New York Knicks ‘Pursuing’ Detroit Pistons Star: Report