The 2022 NBA Trade Deadline was an exciting affair. It is usually reserved for playoff teams trying to bolster their chances in the postseason. However, the Pistons got involved as well, taking part in a four-team trade. Out of it, they traded away Josh Jackson, Trey Lyles, and two second-round picks. In return, however, they got Marvin Bagley III. Bagley has underperformed, but the Pistons look like a healthy environment where Bagley will have time to regain his confidence. Yet, even with that positive move, the Pistons still did one mistake. Not trading away Jerami Grant was the Pistons’ biggest mistake at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline.

Pistons’ biggest 2022 NBA Trade Deadline mistake 

Once again, it is important to mention why the Marvin Bagley deal was a good one for the Pistons. They are a guard-heavy squad, with the bulk of their potential coming from the backcourt. Of course, the line is led by Cade Cunningham, the first pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. He is joined by Kylian Hayes, Frank Jackson, and Saddiq Bey. Yet, in the frontcourt, out of younger players with potential, they have Isaiah Stewart and Luka Garza. Garza is going to be a long-term project, as a second-round selection in the 2021 NBA Draft, while Stewart is slowly developing. Getting Bagley for two second-rounders, a veteran that was not really needed on the team, and a failed project in Jackson is an excellent deal.

However, there we have the curious case of Jerami Grant. Grant is a fantastic offensive player with a ton of defensive potential. He moved on from the Nuggets in 2020 and signed a three-year deal to be a part of the rebuilding Pistons. Immediately, he showed off his immense potential offensively, jumping from 13 points to around 22 on average in the 2020-21 season for the Pistons. He did slow down this year, averaging just around 19 points, and reducing his efficiency by a couple of percentage points, but he was still considered to be a prime candidate for a contender that needed an offensive spark.

Yet, even though he carried two more years on his deal, bringing his value up, Grant remained a Pistons player. On a personal level, it is easy to understand him. As part of the Detroit Pistons, Jerami Grant has his hands completely free to shoot as much as he wants. He also does not have the pressure of winning, as he would have in other teams he could have been traded to. However, the team's edge in this deal really does not make a ton of sense. The Pistons surely did not have a lack of suitors for Grant, especially from teams desperate to bolster their wings, especially offensively.

As said above, Grant has two more years on his deal. Thus, if they were to trade him, the Pistons would have all the leverage, as they do not run the risk of losing him in the offseason. That is the kind of leverage that many struggling teams with well-performing veterans usually do not have, and the Pistons not using it means that they have not utilized their resources in the best manner. With a rebuild happening as is, the Pistons could have used another first-round pick, which they would surely get from a guy like Grant. Other deals for lesser players in the league garnered first-round selections, so it would not surprise anyone if the Pistons could have asked for one in a potential Grant deal.

Now, they will run the risk of losing him in the 2023 offseason. That does not seem like it should influence the Pistons in any way, but it means that they could have had something they simply decided not to take. In simpler terms, what Jerami Grant brings to the Pistons right now is not helping them to rebuild for the future. While losing him in the 2023 offseason will not hurt, as he was a free-agent signing in 2020, the Pistons still could have extracted value. It is worth noting that they could trade him next offseason, but a player with two years on his deal brings much more value to the table than an expiring contract.

Keeping Jerami Grant on board as a Pistons player might look good right now, but the Pistons are not playing for right now. With the record they currently have, they will have an almost guaranteed pick in the top-three, and with all their other players currently in their low-20's, a soon-to-be 28-year-old player simply does not work in their long-term plans. It will take time for Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey, Kylian Hayes, Luka Garza, and now Marvin Bagley to develop, and by then, Grant should be in another franchise.

Getting Bagley for almost nothing was a fantastic move. He will likely stay on the Pistons for a good deal in the summer if it works out for the last couple of months for the player and his new team. While the Pistons deserve a good grade for that move, not moving Jerami Grant was definitely their biggest mistake at the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline.