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It looks like one year with Jerami Grant is all the Nuggets will get, as Shams Charania of the Athletic is reporting that Grant will sign with the Detroit Piston for three years and $60 million.
Free agent Jerami Grant has agreed to a three-year, $60 million deal with the Detroit Pistons, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 21, 2020
Deal negotiated by agent Mike Kneisley.
Grant was a free agent in high demand but it looked like Denver was in the driver’s seat. They’d traded a first round pick for him and made the Western Conference Finals after he started getting the lion’s share of minutes and playing next to Jokic. His play in the NBA bubble in Orlando raised his stock, and it looks like he cashed in with that purported $20 million a year figure.
It’s unclear how that money works for Detroit (who added several big men in free agency today) and in fact it’s possible this is all part of a sign and trade, potentially for Blake Griffin or another player on the Pistons.
Total speculation, but could this be Plumlee and Grant S&T for Blake Griffin? Is that how Detroit is doing this?
— Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA) November 21, 2020
Whatever the case, this is a major blow for the Nuggets. Grant proved his value to the Nuggets in the postseason and looked the part of a long term starter next to Michael Porter Jr. at the forward position. He defended Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Donovan Mitchell capably, showcasing his positional versatility while being a shooting and slashing threat offensively.
The Nuggets are in a difficult position with few resources to replace him, and there’s no telling what the Nuggets will decide to do at this point.