The Atlanta Hawks have long been connected to Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam. And, before him, it was teammate OG Anunoby, who many teams around the league have also pursued. But Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report offers up an intriguing name that would seem to make more sense on the Hawks than he would his current team.
That is Portland Trail Blazers star Jerami Grant.
“Grant, who won’t fit the Portland Trail Blazers’ post-Damian Lillard timeline, could be another alternative,” Buckley wrote on August 2 so long as Atlanta doesn’t mind stomaching the five-year, $160 million pact he signed this summer.”
Atlanta’s pursuit of Siakam revealed the two-time All-Star would not extend his current four-year, $136.9 million contract, and instead plans to explore his options in free agency.
While that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t re-sign in free agency, the risk is obviously there.
Grant, however, comes pre-set in terms of his contract. The 29-year-old forward is also a capable scorer and multi-positional defender, something the Hawks – or any team – can never have too many of.
The 6-foot-8 Grant averaged 20.5 points on 60.6% true shooting with 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season.
He fell just shy of averaging 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals as well.
Portland acquired Grant last offseason with the idea that he would help take some of the pressure off of Damian Lillard. Lillard suffered through injuries and Grant was miscast as the second option on a team straddling two timelines.
They are now set to go forward with their rebuild with Lillard’s trade request a lingering story.
In Atlanta, he could serve as a third or even fourth option with he and De’Andre Hunter both fitting a similar mold of player.
Logistics of Hawks Potentially Landing Blazers’ Jerami Grant Complicated
Financially, the Hawks have the $25.3 million trade exception generated by dealing John Collins to the Utah Jazz; the move which created a potential need for a player like Siakam or, in this case, Grant. From there, they would only have to cobble together a couple of lower-tiered contracts and draft capital to make the deal work.
But Grant cannot be traded until December 15 since he just signed his five-year, $160 million contract this offseason.
By then, the entire landscape of the league could be vastly different from how it is projected.
If the Hawks find that their level of comfort with the current roster is waning around that time, then Grant could add just what this team is looking for on both ends of the floor from defense to self-creation to catch-and-shoot – he shot 39.3% on those looks and 40.1% overall last season.