Blazers Among Suitors for Grant & Simmons as Trade Deadline Approaches

The Trail Blazers remain on a list of potential suitors for 76ers guard Ben Simmons and Pistons forward Jerami Grant as the trade deadline approaches. According to a new report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Blazers are in the running for a pair of the NBA’s most-coveted deadline targets.

According to Charania, the Blazers are among a growing list of teams that are actively pursuing Grant.

Several playoff teams are pursuing Pistons star forward Jerami Grant: The Wizards, Knicks, Blazers and Lakers among others, sources said. Grant is sidelined due to a UCL injury in his right thumb but Detroit will have a vast group of suitors for the 27-year-old. Grant, who is eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $112 million this offseason, is one of the most sought-after players this trade season.

Grant, who played alongside Damian Lillard in the Tokyo Olympics, has appeared in just 24 contests this season due to injury. Since landing in Detroit, the 27-year-old forward has averaged 21.6 points per game. Grant is under contract through the 2022-23 season at an annual salary figure that comes in at just over $20 million.

In regards to Simmons, the Blazers remain a part of a large group of speculative suitors. According to Charania, the Hawks have gained momentum in the discussions surrounding the Sixers and Simmons.

The Hawks are an emerging potential landing spot for Simmons, whose Defensive Player of the Year-caliber play would surely elevate one of the league’s bottom five defenses. In scanning the Hawks’ roster, it’s obvious John Collins — who signed a five-year, $125 million deal in restricted free agency last offseason — and Cam Reddish are among the players who could acquiesce a package for Simmons. It’s unclear whether the Hawks are ready to put such a proposal on the table after making a run to the Eastern Conference finals a season ago.

The Blazers enter deadline discussions without a first-round pick to trade in the 2022 NBA Draft. As part of a three-team trade that landed Larry Nance Jr., the Blazers shipped a lottery-protected selection to the Bulls. Until conveyed, the protection on that pick extends through the 2028 NBA Draft. This year’s trade deadline falls on Feb. 10.

You can read the full report from Charania at The Athletic (subscription required).