Getty Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors need to make a trade as much as any team in the Western Conference, and they have less than two days remaining to do so.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report on Tuesday, February 6, listed Golden State as the top landing spot for Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant in return for a package centered around Andrew Wiggins and future draft compensation.
Remember last season when Andrew Wiggins was shooting nearly 40 percent from three, playing strong defense and helping the Warriors win a playoff series? That could be Jerami Grant now.
With Wiggins struggling, Golden State needs another forward who can defend multiple positions, shoot the lights out from three and be a reliable second or third scoring option every night.
The Warriors could see if Portland would be interested in a Grant-for-Wiggins swap with some draft picks thrown in as incentive, or they could use Chris Paul’s expiring contract to help facilitate a deal.
Jerami Grant Represents Significant Upgrade Over Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins
GettyJerami Grant of the Portland Trail Blazers drives to the basket against Josh Hart of the New York Knicks during an NBA game.
Grant is a versatile offensive player, posting an average of 21.3 points per game across 43 starts in the 2023-24 season, the second-highest total of his career according to Basketball Reference. The combo forward is shooting 40.3% from the 3-point line on 5.1 attempts per game as well as 48.9% from insice the arc.
As far as defense goes, the 6’7″ and 210-pound Grant can guard multiple front-court positions. However, that doesn’t mean he’s guarding those positions particularly well.
Grant, who turns 30 years old near the end of this season, has a defensive rating of 120.1, per StatMuse. For context, the league leader in that category is Defensive Player of the Year candidate Rudy Gobert, who plays center for the Minnesota Timberwolves. His defensive rating is 103.9, more than 16 full points better than Grant’s.
That said, Wiggins’ defensive rating is 120.2. So while he and Grant are essentially a wash in terms of defensive effectiveness, Grant brings a little more heft with his frame and has also been the vastly superior offensive player this season. Wiggins is averaging just 12.2 points per game, down 4.9 points from the year prior, and shooting 31.1% from deep across 42 appearances (31 starts).
Jerami Grant’s Contract Serious Obstacle for Golden State to Navigate
GettyJerami Grant of the Portland Trail Blazers dribbles the ball against Bruce Brown, formerly of the Indiana Pacers, during an NBA game.
No perfect trade exists for the Warriors, and a lateral move defensively isn’t the only problem when it comes to trading for Grant. He also signed a five-year, $160 million contract with Portland over the offseason and has four years remaining after this one with a $36.4 million player-option for 2027-28.
One reason for Golden State to make a trade is to get better now and capitalize on another year of Steph Curry’s prime with, at the very least, a playoff berth and a puncher’s chance to make some noise. Another reason is to get off of Wiggins’ future money. He has three years remaining on his $109 million deal after this season with a $30.2 million player-option for 2026-27.
Swapping Wiggins for Grant doesn’t solve the Dubs’ financial problems, but rather exacerbates them by adding more dollars over more years. However, Paul and Klay Thompson are both playing on expiring contracts.
The Warriors can wipe Paul’s $30 million off the books for next season by trading him before the deadline or parting ways in the offseason. Thompson is earning $43.2 million this season and will be a free agent this summer.
Golden State may have no intention of parting with Thompson, but if he returns, it will certainly be at a reduced number given his play in 2023-24. The salary cap math for the Warriors will look considerably different next year if Wiggins and Paul are gone and Thompson is playing on a discount, which would render Grant’s deal something the Dubs could more reasonably incorporate into their long-term plans.