More Reasons Not to Trade Rui for Jerami Grant, plus the Lakers Fill Out JJ Redick's Coaching Staff

Last week, Mike Richman from Locked On Blazers helped explain why trading for Portland forward Jerami Grant, while at least a somewhat defensible idea on paper, was much less positive for the Lakers in practice. 

Well, it seems like that's the consensus among NBA execs, as well. Reporting from Sean Deveaney, writing for Heavy.com, confirms the consensus from the scouting report episode: That giving up real value for Grant doesn't make sense. Moreover, doing it at the expense of Rui Hachimura (who would almost have to be included to make the money work) may not even make them noticeably better, especially when you factor in other rotation players who would have to go. Grant doesn't improve the team's weaknesses enough to justify the move, and his strengths don't help the team enough to make the cost worth it. 

Meanwhile, listeners/viewers chime in with other potential deals, including one for Blazers guard Anfernee Simons, but when you start having to add more players things get real complex real fast. Let's say the Lakers did manage to create a deal where they used both first rounders to get multiple players back (Grant, Simons and Cameron Johnson from the Nets)... given all the $ they'd have to send out, would they actually get worse? 

You only get to trade assets once. The Lakers have to ask whether any player currently out there is worth making the move now. How much do they really lose in waiting? 

Things could shift a little after Lauri Markkanen's future gets more clear, which should happen today. At the least, we know if Markkanen isn't moved by the Jazz on Tuesday, he either won't have a chance to sign an extension with a new team until after the season. If he signs with Utah on Wednesday, that makes him ineligible to be traded until after the February deadline. 

Clarity on Markkanen, in either direction, could shake a few things loose around the league. 

Finally, JJ Redick has a full coaching staff. It's filled with experience, which is good, but is it a dynamic, forward thinking crew? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Execs weigh in on a potential Grant deal. 

SEGMENT 2: JJ Redick has a coaching staff. 

SEGMENT 3: How Markkanen is the key to any additional offseason movement. 

 

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