Feb 26, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) dunks the ball as Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant (9) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Blazers' $160 Million Forward Named NBA's Most Overpaid Player

Originally posted on Portland Trail Blazers on SI
By Ryan Stano | Last updated Sep 11, 2025 5:00 PM ET

The Portland Trail Blazers have tried to figure out the future of the franchise over the last few years. They have decided that they are done trying to be in the lottery for high draft picks.

Portland has made it a stated goal to win enough games to qualify for the playoffs. One of the players who is in the starting lineup, although perhaps they wish he wasn't, is Jerami Grant.

Grant is a player that they looked at moving this offseason. Unfortunately for them, there wasn't any market for him out there. Now, he's been put on a list he doesn't want to be on.

Trail Blazers Forward Jerami Grant Named as Most Overpaid Player in The NBA

According to Bleacher Report, Grant is listed as the most overpaid player in the NBA.

"Committing over $30 million per year to Jerami Grant entering his 30s was always a puzzling gambit by the Portland Trail Blazers. It looks worse after last season."

Dan Favale mentions that Grant's poor performance is one of the big reasons why he lands so high on this list.

"Grant's performance is doing him no favors. A seismic drop in rim frequency (18th percentile) and two-point efficiency (38.1 percent) are solid indicators of an overall decline."

Not only has his performance been bad since he's been in Portland, but his availability has been poor, as well. He only played 47 and 54 games in each of the last two years.

The Trail Blazers Might Have to Sit Jerami Grant at Some Point This Season

If Grant continues to play poorly, he might have to be moved to the bench. The Blazers have plenty of other young forwards who are willing and eager to take his spot in the starting lineup.

Portland will look to move him before the trade deadline, but it's unlikely that anyone will take his contract. That is the issue they had this offseason.

In just 47 games last season, Grant averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He shot 37.3 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.