The Portland Trail Blazers have long been linked with Jerami Grant even before they pulled the trigger on him with a trade before the NBA Draft. With that said, it didn't surprise Grant at all that he's now in Rip City and teammates with Damian Lillard.
Grant admitted as much in his introductory press conference with the Blazers on Thursday, highlighting he knew the trade was possible. Fortunately for him, he has built a strong connection with Lillard during their stint in Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics, so there is some sort of familiarity in his move to Portland.
“Me and Dame got close at USA. I definitely thought it was a possibility. Happy to be here and be a part of this,” Grant said, per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report.
Ever since trading CJ McCollum last season, the Blazers have been in search of the perfect running mate for Damian Lillard in hopes of contending better in the West. Now, expectations are high that Jerami Grant can fulfill that role.
The 28-year-old forward is also well aware of what the Blazers need from him. He has been the main guy in the Detroit Pistons for the past two years, but he will now have to share the spotlight with Lillard. Of course, the veteran scorer has no problem with it as he focuses on one thing and one thing only: winning.
“For the first six years of my career I wasn't that guy. I'm ready to come here and get some wins,” Grant said on joining the Blazers after playing a starring role with the Pistons.
It remains to be seen how the Lillard-Grant partnership will pan out, though the Blazers have every reason to be optimistic about it.
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