Detroit Pistons stud Jerami Grant has been on the radar of the Los Angeles Lakers for quite some time now. The general belief is that the 27-year-old forward could be the missing piece the Lakers need to turn their season around. He's definitely not going to come for cheap, though, and it sounds like Detroit has already turned down LA's initial trade offer for the highly-touted wingman.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein (paywalled), the Pistons recently rejected the Lakers' trade package centered around 21-year-old shooting guard Talen-Horton Tucker:
Reason being: That 2027 first is clearly the most valuable trade asset that the Lakers currently possess. The Lakers have tried, with no luck yet, to package that pick with Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn in an attempt to acquire Jerami Grant from Detroit.
In terms of personnel, Horton-Tucker is considered to be LA's most (and perhaps only) valuable trading chip. This is exactly why it comes to no surprise that the Lakers have reportedly shopped the former Iowa State standout in the market as the trade deadline draws closer. Kendrick Nunn, on the other hand, has yet to make his debut for LA since joining the squad as a free agent last summer and it seems as though the Lakers are already looking to cash in on him now. These are two highly-promising young players, but they are simply not enough to tempt the Pistons to give up one of, if not the best player on their roster. This explains why LA reportedly decided to include their 2026 first-rounder to sweeten the deal.
Nevertheless, the Pistons still feel that this massive trade package fails to meet their valuation of Jerami Grant.
It remains to be seen if the Lakers will return to the negotiation table to try and make another offer for Grant. They've already laid their cards on the table and it's not as if they have many other trade assets available to include in a potential deal. Whatever the case may be, this development has given us a preview of what the Lakers appear to be willing to part with as we approach the February trade deadline. However, whether or not they will be able to get what they want out of this proposed package still remains to be seen.