For the past year, Jerami Grant has been in the middle of a bunch of trade rumors. It seemed inevitable for him to get moved by the Detroit Pistons because their franchise is in a rebuilding phase, while Grant is looking for an opportunity to be competitive in the NBA Playoffs. Being moved to the Portland Trail Blazers puts himself in a similar timeline for a squad led by Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons. 

After signing Lillard to a massive 2-year extension, the franchise intends to retool a formidable roster around him. Having a tw0-way and versatile wing alongside Damian Lillard is necessary to complement his style of play. The decision of Grant to move to Detroit was reportedly due to him being the team's primary option. For his Portland tenure, the key is to continue getting the desired touches while mixing it up with consistent playoff appearances.

Here are three predictions for Jerami Grant's first season with Portland

3 bold predictions for Jerami Grant in first Blazers season

1. Grant will average more than 20 PPG on 45% from the field

In Jerami Grant's two seasons in Detroit, he averaged over 20 points a game which was a far cry from his days with the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder. The offense has never been an issue for a Damian Lillard-led team, so that will also not be much of a difference this season. Grant is a kind of player who can score in a plethora of ways, but the 17.3 and 14.9 shot attempts he got in Detroit will likely decrease. 

With fewer shot attempts, the efficiency of Jerami Grant could still be improved because he has been shooting at only a 42% clip over the past two seasons. In the offensive schemes of coach Chauncey Billups, Grant will receive more good lucks because he has two spectacular shot creators in Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons.

2. Grant will average more than one steal and one block per game

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The Houston Rockets invested heavily into Fred VanVleet during the 2023 offseason. Houston gave the point guard a three-year, $128 million deal in a move that was meant to turn the Rockets from a rebuilding team into a championship contending one. The signing did just that, as the Rockets finished the 2024-25 regular season as the two-seed in a stacked Western Conference. VanVleet was the veteran presence and 3-point shooter that the team desperately needed, and he still might have a role with the Rockets going forward. Houston has a team option on his contract for next year, and they very well may pick it up. The Wichita State product reportedly wants to stay in Houston, but the point guard would be set to make over $44 million next season under his current contract. The Rockets and their guard recently pushed back the deadline on Houston's decision with VanVleet, and although reports suggest that they are interested in writing up a new, long-term deal, it isn't necessarily a guarantee that VanVleet will be playing for Houston next year. The Rockets blew him away with an offer he couldn't refuse back in 2023, and another team could so the same when/if he hits the open market this offseason. If VanVleet does become an unrestricted free agent, which teams outside of Houston would make the most sense for him to sign with? 1. Orlando Magic Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner recently signed big deals with the Orlando Magic, and Paolo Banchero will be getting a mega contract extension here soon. Because of that, the Magic no longer have money to blow like they have had in recent years. That will make a deal for another big ticket free agent hard to pull off, especially considering the team signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope last year. If Orlando can make the money work, though, then Fred VanVleet would be a great fit with the Magic. The Magic finished dead last in 3-point shooting this season, and VanVleet has made at least 2.5 deep balls per game in every season since 2018-19. VanVleet can hit shots form behind the arc off of the bounce or in catch-and-shoot situations. The Rockets were heavily reliant on his shooting expertise, so the guard would have plenty of familiarity getting up deep shots with high volume if he signed with the Magic. While undersized, VanVleet is a pesky defender, so he'd fit right in with a Magic team that has one of the best defensive units in the league. VanVleet could play alongside Suggs and give opposing teams fits. Ultimately, though, the Magic just need more shooting to get to the next level, and VanVleet is arguably the best shooter who could be available on the open market this offseason. 2. Brooklyn Nets A more realistic option for a VanVleet destination would be the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are set up to have the most cap space this offseason, and they have a major need at point guard. With D'Angelo Russell and De'Anthony Melton hitting free agency this offseason, the Nets don't have a true point guard under contract for next season. Brooklyn needs to spend big this offseason, and they'd be smart to offer VanVleet a contract big enough that he'd have no choice but to leave Houston. VanVleet averaged 14.1 points per game last season, which was his lowest mark since 2018-19. He is trending the wrong way, but he still has enough left in the tank to give the Nets a few good seasons. 3. Portland Trail Blazers In the same way that the Rockets were looking to take the next step in 2023, the Portland Trail Blazers could use VanVleet's presence to get over the hump. The Trail Blazers have plenty of big man depth, as centers Deandre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams, and Duop Death are all under contract next season. Portland also has a lot of wing depth. Deni Advija started to look like a star late this past season, Toumani Camara is an elite defender, Shaedon Sharpe is a freakish athlete, and Jerami Grant is a proven scorer. The team is thinner in the backcourt, though. Anfernee Simons is a solid scorer, but Scoot Henderson has looked like a fringe draft bust since being drafted third overall. Portland shouldn't give up on Henderson completely, but there wouldn't be any harm in signing another guard. Like the Magic, the Blazers were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA. VanVleet would improve that weakness, and in a stacked Western Conference, Portland needs all of the help they can get if they are to compete for a playoff spot.
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Like his previous stints, Jerami Grant will be the best perimeter defender of the starting unit. With the lack of size at the forward position, Grant will be tasked to defend the likes of LeBron James and Luka Doncic every night, and he is more than capable of containing them. The combination of Grant's athleticism and brilliance will be vital in achieving the goal of a steal and a block per game.

Gary Payton II and Josh Hart are other viable perimeter defensive options, but Grant's size and lateral quickness would differentiate him from the others. Furthermore, Jerami Grant can play the four with Jusuf Nurkic and three other perimeter defenders, which will not be as deficient defensively compared to previous iterations of the Trail Blazers. 

3. Grant will help Lillard lead Portland to a playoff spot

After missing the NBA Playoffs for the first time in eight years, the Portland Trail Blazers are more than capable of reclaiming that spot again this season. The Utah Jazz will likely miss the playoffs, and other teams will plummet compared to their standing last season. Led by a superstar who is back to being 100%, Damian Lillard will outplay the best player on the opposing side of the floor.

Realistically speaking, Portland will likely squeak through the play-in tournament, so they will need to win one or two elimination games before advancing to the NBA Playoffs. In those circumstances, the ideal player a squad, would want on their side is Lillard because of his shot creation and reliance on clutch situations. Moreover, adding Jerami Grant as a secondary shot creator will also be integral because of his ability to attack the weak side defense and become a threat in any area of the floor.

The excitement and intrigue level when watching the Portland Trail Blazers will continue to ascend soon. Switching coaches from Terry Stotts to Chauncey Billups and only having Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic from the previous core will present a new look to their fanbase. It is bounce-back season time for the rejuvenated Portland squad.