The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a unique spot this offseason. As they try to grow from play-in team to Eastern Conference contender, they have the ammunition to get involved in a number of potential trades. They have future draft picks, a potential sign-and-trade candidate in Collin Sexton and multiple mid-range salaries to use to bring in a difference-maker.
In part that is why they have been linked to so many different players, from OG Anunoby to Gordon Hayward. They have a lottery pick for hopefully the last time in a long time, and they may stay put at No. 14, but they could also use the pick to make a deal for a more established player now.
The Athletic proposed a trade this week between the Cavs and the Pistons for Jerami Grant. Why might both teams pull the trigger on this deal?
That’s the idea behind a trade proposed by The Athletic (subscription required) a couple of days ago. Kelsey Russo, the website’s staff writer covering the Cavaliers, did a mailbag piece and answered a question about the Cavs’ potential interest in Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant. She shared a collaborative trade built with Pistons writer James Edwards that would look like so:
Russo and Edwards described the potential trade as “a great deal for both sides.” Would this deal be a good one for both sides? Is Caris LeVert a good fit in Detroit? Let’s look at why each team would do this trade and then give a final verdict. Should the Cavs make this trade for Jerami Grant if given the chance?
The Athletic proposes Cavs trade for Jerami Grant: Why Pistons would it
The Detroit Pistons are moving into a new phase of their franchise, one that will build its offense entirely around Cade Cunningham as something of a heliocentric scorer. That doesn’t mean they don’t want other creators around him, but clearly, he will be the top dog in the pecking order – and given the early returns, deservedly so.
As they look to add young pieces around Cunningham, veteran forward Jerami Grant is left as the odd man out, the guy supplanted by the young phenom. The Pistons aren’t planning to compete at the top for a few more years and Grant will be a free agent after next season, so it makes sense for them to entertain trades. Teams from Portland to Phoenix to Philadelphia are options to make trade offers.
The offer from the Cavs proposed by The Athletic would bring Caris LeVert and the No. 14 pick in the draft to Detroit. The Pistons already have the No. 5 pick in the draft, so this would give them two lottery picks to use to add young pieces around Cunningham. Adding, say, Shaedon Sharpe and Mark Williams, or Keegan Murray and TyTy Washington, would give this core two more pieces that fit its timeline.
With LeVert the Pistons would add a secondary creator who can run the offense with Cade off the court, and who works with him when they share the court. Cunningham’s shooting ability would theoretically make him a good off-ball player, although it doesn’t seem likely the Pistons want to dial too much of that up. LeVert clearly has value leaguewide, which is how the Indiana Pacers created a bidding war at the trade deadline that netted a first-round pick and a premium second.
The Athletic proposes Cavs trade for Jerami Grant: Why Cavs would it
The Cleveland Cavaliers built something special last season, turning around a team in the dregs and sitting in the playoff field for most of the season. Eventually, injury attrition became too much and they slipped to eighth and eventually a play-in loss, but there is something strong to stand on in Cleveland.
The question is how to continue building from here. The front office should absolutely not be impatient in mortgaging the future to help the present (you know, like they were in February making the Caris LeVert deal in the first place) yet this looks like a team ready to push for a legitimate playoff berth next season. Adding a veteran forward in Jerami Grant isn’t a crazy idea.
He has the defensive versatility to play at the 3, likely starting and pushing Lauri Markkanen to the bench. Suddenly the Cavs go from the tallest frontcourt in the league to the best defensive one, even better it seems than the Boston Celtics. Grant is a reasonable shooter, a reasonable secondary creator and can thrive in both high-volume and low-volume roles.
Losing the No. 14 pick is no fun, but any player drafted there has a low chance to be even as good as Grant and will take multiple years to get there. That’s fine, as the Cavs aren’t in a rush, but it’s a reasonable price for Grant. LeVert as the salary ballast and balancing value is not a huge blow to the Cavs here; any loss in on-ball creation, likely slight, is more than made up for with Grant’s defensive improvement on LeVert. This deal would also save the Cavs from a potentially bad contract extension with LeVert.
The Athletic proposes Cavs trade for Jerami Grant: Final Verdict
It’s unclear why the Pistons would do this deal. They are rumored to want two strong assets for Grant, two firsts or a pick-and-a-player, and this deal accomplished that goal. That being said, LeVert doesn’t add a ton of value to the Pistons and how they are building their team, as LeVert is on an expiring contract they would need to flip him quickly at the next trade deadline. There is a good chance other teams higher in the lottery would have trade offers that trump this one from the Cavs as well.
That being said, an established Pistons writer thought this was something Detroit would be interested in, so let’s assume they’re on board for a minute. If this deal is on the table, should the Cavs say yes?
Absolutely. Take this deal and sprint to the bank – err, telephone to call the league office. The LeVert trade was already a mistake, and the Cavs look ready to compound the mistake with a lucrative extension. This deal rights that wrong and brings in a really good two-way player, the exact kind of guy the Cavs should be looking to add. An extension for Grant, at reasonable money, makes a lot more sense than extending LeVert.
The Pistons likely don’t want to trade Grant for this type of return, but it’s at least possible this is the best offer they get, especially if Portland makes a trade for OG Anunoby and the Phoenix Suns keep DeAndre Ayton. If the Cavs get the Pistons on board this is a slam dunk trade for them and would add a strong piece to their core.