Jerami Grant was mostly solid in four years in Portland. After finally tasting a postseason run, he's going back to a rebuilding situation in Memphis.
Jerami Grant is leaving Portland. The high-energy Swiss Army knife achieved personal highs and team lows before making a playoff run in 2026. He was included in the Ja Morant trade. The frontcourt standout may have become one of the league's forgotten players, but save for a lackluster 2024-2025 season, he has been one of the league's most versatile and effective performers.
Coming from a family with a rich basketball heritage, Grant's father, Harvey, played 11 years in the league. His brother Jerian had a cup of coffee in the league as well. Most impressively, his uncle, Horace Grant, won championships with both Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan in an impressive career.
In four years in the Rose City, Jerami Grant averaged over 20 twice and over 18.5 once. In his first three seasons on the team, he started all games he appeared in. This past season, he played in 57 games, starting 38 as the team added depth in the frontcourt. One disappointing stat for him was rebounds, as he managed only 3.8 a game over the four years. With his frame and athleticism, you would hope for a more consistent performance on the boards. On the other hand, he shot over 40% from three in his first two years, really impressive for a frontcourt player.
As a switchable defender, Grant averaged 1.6 stocks per game over his Portland run. He impressively racked up 49 points versus Detroit in 2004, establishing his career high. Grant is a well-liked glue guy in the locker room as well, something a tumultuous Memphis group could absolutely use. He's looking at a lucrative contract of 34 million dollars guaranteed before a player option in 2027-2028. He struck while the iron was hot and secured a spectacular contract. He was a solid player, though never reaching superstar status. With the value of wing defenders sky-high, he brings defensive skill as well as intangibles to a team, although the Grizzlies better have someone else ready to crash the glass.
The Grizzlies make the 6th NBA team for the journeyman forward. In his lone year in Denver, he achieved the most playoff success of his career. He reached the conference finals on a team that overcame two 3-1 deficits to get there. With Memphis set to go through a complete rebuild, it's doubtful he'll experience playoff success any time soon, unless they can flip his massive contract.
With a career that started during the process with the Philadelphia 76ers, starting from scratch is nothing new to Grant.
