Proposed Trade Would Bring Pistons Star to the Knicks

Jerami Grant Pistons-Knicks

Getty Detroit Pistons star Jerami Grant corrals a rebound during a game against the New York Knicks,

Kemba Walker’s sudden resurgence after getting benched for nine straight games has been an incredible development for the New York Knicks. However, the underperforming club still needs other things to fall in place in order to get back on track.

The reality of the situation is that the 12th-place Knicks may not have the pieces they need in order to keep themselves in the playoff hunt, particularly with Derrick Rose recovering from ankle surgery for the next eight or so weeks.

As such, the team has featured heavily in trade chatter on both social media and the basketball blogosphere. Fans and pundits alike have pitching deals sending everyone from Damian Lillard to Ben Simmons and beyond to the Big Apple.

For his part, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has them making a big play for a certain Detroit Pistons star.


B/R: Knicks Could Swap Kemba for Jerami Grant

In his latest trade piece, Buckley pitched deals for four tanking teams in an effort to improve their draft-lottery odds. Where the Pistons are concerned, he proposed the following trade with the Knicks:

  • Pistons get: Kemba Walker, Obi Toppin, Kevin Knox and 2022 first-round pick (top-five protected, via CHA)
  • Knicks get: Jerami Grant

Although Grant is young enough at 27 to hold down a spot in Detroit’s core alongside its young talents, his timeline still probably doesn’t fit that of his team. As Buckley sees it, that fact alone necessitates some kind of move:

In the universe where top pick Cade Cunningham hit the ground sprinting and several of the Pistons’ other young prospects popped, maybe they could justify keeping Jerami Grant beyond the deadline. But in this reality, where it seems Detroit could be several seasons away from any kind of relevance, it just can’t happen.

Whether or not a move for Grant is actually in the cards for the Knicks, Buckley’s deal could be a win for them, as well as the Pistons.

Get all the latest Knicks news, analysis and viral content! Follow the Heavy on Knicks Facebook page! 

Follow Heavy on Knicks!


Why It Works

In Grant, the Knicks are getting a player whose motor and multi-positional prowess on defense would probably have Tom Thibodeau hot and bothered at all times. On top of that, he’s a playoff-tested vet and 20-point scorer who can put the ball in the basket from multiple levels.

His pairing with Julius Randle would give the Knicks one of the league’s best starting frontcourts. And all it would cost them is a player who was in exile just a few, short days ago in Walker, another out-of-the-rotation guy in Knox, Toppin — who would be difficult to part with — and a pick, which is something New York has in spades.

Wrote Buckley:

The Knicks, meanwhile, might manage to both stop some of the defensive bleeding and add another scoring threat to the mix. Grant could handle the toughest wing assignment on defense and take some of the scoring load off Julius Randle’s hands.

Meanwhile, the Pistons get two quality prospects (Toppin & Knox), a trade asset (Walker), and a first-rounder that would likely get conveyed to them this summer. In other words, it’s exactly the kind of package a developing club should want.

READ NEXT:

Read More
,