According to reports, according to relevant reporters, the Lakers, which have a poor record this season, are currently brewing a big deal about Grant. The reporter said: "The Lakers are very interested in Grant, and the Pistons are currently in the process of rebuilding, they should also listen to the offer about Grant." The Lakers may have to send Tucker, Nunn and the 2027 first-round picks for this. From those words, it can be seen that the Lakers are very interested in Grant, although they may have to pay the price of Nunn, Tucker and the first-round picks, they are also willing.
The reason for such a deal is partly because the Lakers' record so far this season is not ideal, and they had hoped to impact the championship this season after a series of operations in the offseason, but due to injuries and run-ins, they seem to be getting farther and farther away from the championship ranks, and are currently even struggling for the top eight positions in the West. On the other hand, the Lakers are currently showing a very big problem is that their front line is very weak, and the team is currently converting to a small lineup, which has caused a very big impact on their interior defense, so they urgently need a very defensive and offensive forward.
The Lakers have targeted the Pistons' All-Star-level forward Grant, which is a very ideal goal for them. Since entering the league, With his explosive physical fitness and extreme athleticism, Grant has always been known for his defensive excellence. After joining the Pistons, Grant, who has a lot of possessions, has played an extremely well-rounded performance, averaging 22.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game last season, shooting 42.9% from the field and shooting 35% from three-point range, and has been put into the discussion of All-Star players last season.
And getting players who perform so well means the Lakers have to pay a considerable price. On the one hand, the Pistons, which are currently rebuilding, are willing to send Grant, but they undoubtedly need to use young players and draft picks as chips. On the other hand, Grant's annual salary this season is as high as $20 million, and the Lakers' current salary space is very crowded, if they want to get Grant, then they are likely to give away tucker with an annual salary of $10 million and Nunn with an annual salary of $5 million, plus a 2027 first-round pick and other deals
Tucker signed a three-year, $30.78 million contract extension with the Lakers in the offseason last season, and has only played in 19 games this season due to injuries, averaging 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, shooting 38.3% from the field and only 22.7% from three-point range. And Nunn signed a two-year, $10.25 million contract with the Lakers in the offseason, and although he only lost a draft, in the Heat's two seasons, Nunn played a very good performance. However, so far this season, Nunn has not played a single game for the Lakers due to injury. Since the Lakers' backcourt already has players such as Westbrook and Munch, they can send Tucker and Nunn as chips.
However, as the relevant reporters said, although this is a deal that can help the Lakers win, it is also a very risky deal for them. First of all, This season's Grant's performance has regressed to a certain extent, with an average of points per game and shooting percentage declining, and after the Lakers, his ball rights will undoubtedly become less, which will also affect his performance to some extent. Secondly, this season's Grant has also suffered from injuries, and after undergoing recovery surgery for a torn thumb ligament injury, Grant is likely to come back in a month or two, which means that the Lakers will have to wait for a long time to wait for him to come back after getting Grant.
Of course, in any way, Grant is worth taking the Lakers risk, after all, if they want to enter the ranks of championship teams this season, then they must change the team's lineup through trades. In addition to this, Grant is also a player who is very suitable for the Lakers. On the offensive end, Grant has a very strong impact ability, and he is currently at the peak of his career at the age of 27, and he is very good at reaching the inside to complete the scoring, which is exactly what the aging Lakers need. Grant, meanwhile, also has a decent three-pointer from the outside, which is a great help to pull away the team's offensive air.
Not to mention Grant's abilities on the defensive end, he has proven himself to be a very good defensive player in his career so far. Grant can defend the opposing defender on the outside, and his height and arm span make his defense extremely oppressive. In the Lakers' small lineup, Grant can fully play the role of the fifth position and achieve very good results in defending opponents' interior players. If the Lakers can get Grant, whether it is as the fifth position to defend, or as a forward player to assist the interior, many of the defensive problems that appear in their small lineup can be well solved.
However, for the Lakers, even if they want Grant very much and are willing to pay a lot of chips for it, it is not an easy task. This season's Pistons got Canningham, who didn't play a satisfactory performance for the team, but the team was willing to give him enough patience to adapt well to the NBA. The presence of Grant, as the boss of the team, will undoubtedly cause some obstacles to Cunningham's growth, so before Grant, who has regressed performance, and Cunningham, who has a bright future, they chose the latter and put the former on the trading shelf.
In such a situation, there are many teams in the league that are very interested in getting Grant, in addition to the Lakers, jazz, Suns and other teams hope to get Grant. As a result, the Pistons are in no hurry to send him away, but will look at the offers these teams have for Grant, and the team willing to provide young players and draft picks is undoubtedly the most dominant. Therefore, the Lakers must do their best to win for Grant, after all, his arrival will bring great changes to the team.