Getty Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell
Free agency has not yet started, but already, things have shaped up to be interesting for the Lakers this offseason. Point guard D’Angelo Russell opted in for the final year and $18.7 million of his contract on Friday, and one of the team’s top trade targets—Hawks guard Dejounte Murray—was dealt to the Pelicans, removing the option of adding Murray’s two-way talents to the Lakers backcourt.
The combination of Russell’s decision and the Murray trade does increase the chances for the Lakers to address a longtime shortcoming on the roster—the lack of big men who can stretch the floor. One who has been connected with the Lakers already is eminently available: Portland Trail Blazers star Jerami Grant.
Russell is expected to be traded in the coming days or weeks.
Already, Yahoo Sports’s Jake Fischer has connected the Lakers to Grant. He wrote this week: “Jerami Grant, a client of Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, is believed to be another potential addition on the Lakers’ wishlist, according to league sources.”
Jerami Grant Got Huge Contract From Blazers
Grant is available mostly because of his onerous contract and the fact that the Blazers are in the early stages of a rebuilding program. Portland took the odd step last summer of signing Grant to a major new contract worth $160 million over five years, just before Damian Lillard sought a trade and Portland headed into a rebuilding program.
Grant, a client of Klutch Sports—the Rich Paul-led agency that also reps LeBron James and Anthony Davis—is probably as well known for his contract as his production. He averaged 21.0 points on 45.1% shooting last year, with a remarkably low rebound total (3.5 per game) for a power forward. He struggled with injuries, playing just 54 games for the lowly 21-win Blazers.
Portland would be selling low on Grant, with the Lakers able to scoop him up without giving up much more than matching salaries and one future first-round pick. The Lakers can trade two picks (in 2029 and 2031) but have been reluctant to include those in trade talks.
But that is where Russell’s decision comes in. The Lakers can use the $18.7 million in Russell’s expiring money to package him and, perhaps, veteran point guard Gabe Vincent to Portland, with one future first-rounder, for Grant.
Because the Blazers do not much need Russell, though, perhaps the Magic could be brought into the fold, taking on Russell and Vincent in a three-way trade, sending back a young player (Jett Howard, perhaps) to sweeten the pot for Portland. Orlando is said to have interest in Russell, and needs an offensive-minded point guard.
Lakers Need 3-Point Shooting
Of course, Grant is a gamble. The Lakers would take on the burden of paying him an average of $32 million per year, all for a player who has pretty clear weaknesses.
But the Lakers need 3-point shooting badly. The Lakers are not a bad shooting team, they just don’t shoot 3s enough, and they don’t get perimeter shooting from every position like other top teams do.
Grant, a power forward, can help there. In his two seasons with the Blazers, he has become a 3-point marksman, shooting 40.1% from the arc on 5.7 attempts in 2022-23 and making 40.2% on 5.1 attempts last year. His average of 2.1 made 3s per game would have tied him with James for No. 2 on the Lakers last season.
L.A. ranked just 24th in 3-pointers made per game, at 11.8. It’s tough to win that way in the modern NBA, especially after the Celtics just showed what deploying five perimeter shooters at once can accomplish. Boston made 16.5 3s per game this year.
Adding Grant gives the Lakers a player who can knock down 3s and help provide more space for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. With a relatively low cost, it could be a key move for the Lakers.