Six months have passed since Jerami Grant was traded from Detroit to Portland, which means the Trail Blazers forward is now eligible for a contract extension that could be worth up to $112.65M over four years.
Negotiations between general manager Joe Cronin and Grant’s agent, Mike Kneisley haven’t yet gotten underway, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic. However, Quick says there was optimism from “all corners of the organization” on Friday about the possibility of Grant remaining in Portland long-term, including from the forward himself.
“I definitely like it here; love it here,” Grant said. “The guys have been very welcoming, it’s definitely a family environment, everybody is super cool, got good guys on the team, great organization — Joe, (head coach) Chauncey (Billups), everything. I’m definitely enjoying it here.”
When told that his comments didn’t paint the picture of a situation a player would want to leave, Grant laughed and replied, “I ain’t really plan on leaving.”
As Quick outlines, Blazers star Damian Lillard and Grant became close when they played for Team USA at the Summer Olympics. As U.S. teammates, they discussed ways to get Grant to Portland, and Lillard said on Friday that it “wasn’t the plan” for the 28-year-old to leave Portland as a free agent.
According to Quick, Lillard doesn’t believe that Grant — who has played for five teams since entering the NBA in 2014 and has never spent more than three seasons with a single franchise — will be looking for another change of scenery as a free agent this summer.
“I’m sure at this point in his career he’s looking for a home,” Lillard said. “He’s not looking to be on another team, so in my mind, I just assume it’s more than likely that he’ll be back.
“I think (Grant) understands it’s a good situation for him. He’s been able to play free … the game has come pretty simple for him … we’ve welcomed him. Right now we are 19-19, but we are capable of being a winning team … It’s a good situation for him, and that speaks louder than anything else.”
The Blazers have until June 30 to sign Grant to an extension and would be in the driver’s seat even if he opts for free agency, since they’d be able to offer him more years and more money than any other team — four years and $112.65M are Grant’s in-season limits, but Portland could offer up to $233M over five years in free agency. The possibility of exceeding $28M per year on his next contract could be a consideration for Grant, who will also weigh his family, role and his team’s chances to compete for a title, writes Quick.
“It’s a lot of stuff that goes into it, that’s why I’m kind of taking my time right now,” Grant said.
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