The most expensive substitute is out, the Trail Blazers are helpless

The fate of Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant is destined - next season, the forward player with an annual salary of $32 million will be reduced to a substitute, becoming one of the most expensive bench players in NBA history.

According to Sean Highkin, a reporter from the Trail Blazers, the team tried to trade Grant this summer but failed completely. No team was willing to take over his remaining three-year $103 million contract. Even though the Trail Blazers were willing to lower the asking price, it was reduced from the initial two first rounds to one first round + young players, no one was interested.

Grant's death was astonishing. In the 2023-24 season, he averaged 21 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of 40.2%, and is a qualified starting player at both offense and defense.

But last season, his data fell sharply to 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists, his shooting percentage fell to a career-low 37.3%, and his three-point shooting percentage was only 36.5%5. What's worse is that he was completely lost in key games. For example, when he played against the Lakers in February this year, he made only 1 of 12 shots and scored only 3 points in the game, which directly led to the Lakers management giving up trading negotiations. The current situation of the Trail Blazers is extremely embarrassing. In the summer of 2023, they spent $160 million in five years to renew their contract with Grant, hoping to assist Lillard in the playoffs, but Lillard applied for a trade and left the team and the team entered reconstruction.

Now, Grant's high salary and long contract seriously hinders the team's operation, and the rise of young players Deni Avdia and Tumani Kamala has completely lost their position in the team.

Grant himself seemed to realize the problem. He admitted at the season summary meeting: "This is a disappointing season, and I sometimes feel uncomfortable." But the reality is that if his condition cannot recover, the Trail Blazers may be forced to continue to hold this "poison contract" and even have to pay a draft pick in the future to send him away.

League insiders believe that Grant still has certain trading value, especially for the championship team, he is still a good 3D puzzle. But the problem is that his contract is too long (expired in 2028), his salary is too high, and any team will take huge risks.

Perkins even publicly advised Grant to seek a buyout and join a competitive team rather than wasting the peak of the rebuilding Trail Blazers.

However, the charm of sports events lies in their fullness of variables. If Grant can regain his form next season and perform his former highlights, the Trail Blazers may have a chance to trade him out.

But before that, he had to accept the reality that could be the most expensive substitute in the league, and worked hard to prove himself in his limited playing time. At the same time, the Trail Blazers could only continue to search for the "destined person" who was willing to take over Grant's contract in the trading market.