Denver Nuggets: Is Jerami Grant the answer at small forward?

The Denver Nuggets agreed to acquire Jerami Grant from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Could he be the 3-and-D wing Denver has been seeking?

The Denver Nuggets front office struck again Monday, cashing in on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s fire sale and swiftly adding another strong asset.

According to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski, Denver will part with a 2020 first round pick in order to obtain Jerami Grant, who averaged 13.6 points per game in 2018-19 as OKC’s starting power forward. This could be the latest in a series of brilliant moves by president of basketball operations Tim Connelly and general manager Arturas Karnisovas, as they are filling Denver’s biggest need at a reasonable price.

The Nuggets’ first round pick, which should be in the 20s, is worth very little compared to the opportunity 2019-20 presents. Denver has the core to compete, as the team is just one year removed from securing the 2-seed in the Western Conference. No super-teams are projected to terrorize the conference next year.

Defensively, Grant is precisely the player Denver has needed. The tall forward has the stopping prowess to prevent a playoff collapse of last year’s caliber. He posted a sturdy 105.6 defensive rating with the Thunder last season.

Grant’s 6’9” frame, combined with a notable 7’3” wingspan, will help Denver against well-sized small forwards. This archetype plagued the squad last year, as Kevin Durant has shot a blistering 69.8 percent in his past three matchups against the Nuggets.

Denver also struggled against the 6’8” Rodney Hood throughout the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, as he averaged 14.7 points per game on 58.3 percent shooting. The Nuggets’ undersized frontcourt couldn’t properly body Hood, and this played a huge role in the series. Grant should provide some much-needed stability here.

Offensively, Grant should be a solid fit as a catch-and-shoot wing threat. He knocked down 39.2 percent of his 3-point tries last year with the Thunder, which would have finished first among Denver’s starters.

The Nuggets struggled from outside at times, as they went 2-of-19 from 3-point range in their Game 7 loss to Portland. Last year’s squad wasn’t abnormally poor from deep, but they were prone to team-wide slumps. Grant’s marksmanship should help greatly, because a couple makes would have landed the Nuggets in the conference finals.

Stylistically, Denver’s starting small forwards didn’t mesh, as roles tended to overlap. Will Barton started most games, which created a clunky overabundance of playmakers. Torrey Craig, on the other hand, proved better as a defensive specialist in the guard slot.

The Nuggets need a sharpshooting wing who is comfortable with a corner catch-and-shoot role. Grant is a much better fit with Denver’s needs, and his accurate stroke should better prevent defenses from doubling Nikola Jokic. He also sports marquee athleticism, which is a bonus.

The Syracuse University product is set to earn $9.3 million in 2019-20, and has a player option for the same amount next summer. This deal could work as a rental, or evolve into a longer-term fit, depending on what the two parties decide.

Overall, Denver made a savvy move snagging Grant from the Thunder. He is well-worth the first-rounder, and should start right away for the Nuggets.

Ideally, Michael Porter Jr. develops into the better player, and eventually moves to start. If he doesn’t pan out, however, Grant could easily be Denver’s two-way forward of the future. If nothing else, it’s a great move for 2019-20.