The Los Angeles Lakers desperately need to make a couple of moves before the trade deadline. They’ve vastly underperformed and there’s only so much LeBron James can do to lead them in the tough Western Conference.
However, Rob Pelinka has little-to-no assets to work with right now. Talen Horton-Tucker, albeit promising, doesn’t have a big contract that could land an All-Star in return, Kendrick Nunn has yet to play due to injury, and their 2027 first-round pick won’t cut it out on its own.
That’s why it’s unlikely that the Lakers pull off a blockbuster move ahead of the deadline, even despite their interest in Jerami Grant. But more than that, it seems like that interest wasn’t mutual, as Grant isn’t interested in joining forces with James and Anthony Davis.
NBA Rumors: Jerami Grant Doesn’t Want To Play With LeBron James And Anthony Davis
“I’ve actually heard Lakers have passed on Jerami Grant. He doesn’t want to play a tertiary role behind Bron/AD,” said Eric Pinus of Bleacher Report.
Grant Wants To Be A Primary Scoring Option
Apparently, the former Nuggets forward doesn’t want to join a team where he’s not one of the primary scoring options, even though he’s never been the most prolific or explosive scorer in the league:
“For any team to sign off on a trade for Grant, they’ll need assurances of his plans to re-sign this offseason, just like (Aaron) Gordon did in Denver.Grant also has little interest in joining a new situation where he doesn’t feature as a primary offensive option, sources said,” Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report explained.
Wizards Will Be Very Aggressive To Trade For Grant
Grant’s next stop could be in the nation’s capital, as the Washington Wizards have reportedly put him and Domantas Sabonis at the top of their wish list as the trade deadline continues to zoom in:
“Several league personnel view Washington as a favorite to land Grant.He hails from the D.C. area, his father Harvey played for the franchise from 1988-93 and again from 1996-98,” Fischer added. “The Wizards’ first-year head coach Wes Unseld Jr. also coached Grant as an assistant with the Nuggets.”
“Despite general manager Tommy Sheppard’s contract extension,Washington’s front office is still under a dose of pressure to build the best complementary roster it can aroundBradley Bealahead of the NBA All-Star guard’s contract extension this summer,” Fischer concluded.
The Lakers, on the other hand, are most likely stuckwith the roster they put together before the start of the season. They don’t have valuable trade assets and no one will absorb Russell Westbrook’s contract with the way he’s been playing.
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