The Nuggets’ quiet offseason received a jolt Monday morning with news that they dealt for versatile Oklahoma City wing Jerami Grant.
Denver sent its 2020 first-round pick to the Thunder to acquire the 6-foot-9 forward, the Nuggets announced Monday. As result of the deal, the team also rescinded Trey Lyles’ qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
“He’s a guy that I’ve long thought very, very highly of,” coach Michael Malone told reporters in Las Vegas. “What stands out to me is his size, his wingspan, his length. … I think Jerami’s going to make us a very tough team in the Western Conference.”
The pick is top-10 protected for three years, according to a league source. If it doesn’t convey, it turns into two second round picks in 2023 and 2024.
Grant’s $9 million salary has been absorbed into a trade exception created by last year’s Wilson Chandler trade to Philadelphia. The exception would’ve expired Monday.
The move for Grant solidifies Denver’s depth on the wing. It also serves as the Nuggets’ response to the arms race in the Western Conference. The Nuggets waited patiently as the free-agent pool dried up and other Western Conference contenders fortified their rotations with splashy, expensive signings. The Nuggets seemed content to run it back with their core group, including retaining Paul Millsap in the frontcourt.
Trading for Grant was their answer. Management’s confidence in their core was projected in the fact that they hadn’t done anything major until Monday. Adding a valuable, versatile two-way player — which they’d been targeting since the start of free agency — signals a readiness to contend. As the Clippers, Jazz, Blazers and Lakers stocked up, the Nuggets were biding their time until the right opportunity presented itself.
The Thunder were an optimal trade partner. Having already moved Paul George in the blockbuster trade to the Clippers, the Thunder are on the verge of a rebuild. Oklahoma City landed five first-round picks in that deal. This deal gives them a sixth. The deal also saves the Thunder millions in their projected luxury tax.
Grant joins what will now be a deep perimeter rotation with Will Barton, Torrey Craig, and Juancho Hernangomez also in the mix, in addition to incoming rookie Michael Porter Jr. He could slot in at a number of positions defensively for the second unit.
Offensively, he should fit in well alongside Nikola Jokic. Grant is an excellent cutter, can stretch the floor from the perimeter and should work well in Denver’s pick-and-roll scheme. He’s a good fit who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to draw attention.
The six-year NBA veteran is coming off his best season as a pro, having averaged 13.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game last season while also shooting 39.2 percent from 3.
Grant is in the second year of a three-year deal that includes a $9.6 million player option for 2020-21. The Nuggets are now $1.9 million under the luxury tax, according to ESPN.
