The Denver Nuggets took another step forward, becoming a formidable championship contender, and losing Jerami Grant may set them back.
Jerami Grant has been one of the surprises for the Denver Nuggets this past season. After being acquired from the OKC Thunder, he has stayed consistent with his improvements since last season. And because he’s developed his game, the Nuggets need to make sure they resign him.
Grant already turned down his player option of $9.3 million to become a free agent and test the open market (as he should). However, losing him would be a significant blow for the Nuggets at the small and power forward positions. With the potential of losing Grant, Paul Millsap, Mason Plumlee, Torrey Craig, and Noah Vonleh, it would be tough sledding for Denver because they’d be left with:
- Michael Porter Jr. (PF)
- Will Barton (SG/SF)
- Keita Bates-Diop (SF)
- Vlatko Cancar (SF)
- Zeke Nnaji (PF/C)
- Tyler Cook (C, Two-Way contract)
Obviously, the remaining players I listed wouldn’t have the same impact as the aforementioned free agents. In particular, losing Grant in free agency would be a crucial blow because he is young and could be part of the team’s foundation moving forward.
However, teams such as the Miami Heat, the Thunder and Detroit Pistons are notable organizations that would love to have Grant’s offensive and defensive versatility on their team.
On offense, Grant showed that he is a true stretch big with his consistent scoring in or around the paint, from three-point range, and in transition. He averaged 12 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 47.8 field goal percentage, 38.9 3-point percentage (3.5 attempts per game) in 26.6 minutes per game – his numbers were essentially the same in the playoffs.
On the defensive side, Grant revealed that he’s a switchable defender on the perimeter and post. Let’s go back to the playoffs where Grant was defending LeBron James and Anthony Davis. No one is saying that he locked these guys down, but he made it difficult for the Lakers big two to operate on the floor (which is all you can really ask for).
Now, the good thing is that even with the teams that I listed, Grant’s market seems to be dwindling. On top of that, Grant has expressed interest in returning to Denver, but taking his word only goes so far if the Nuggets pay him.
The expectation is that Grant will command somewhere between $14 – $16 million annually. The Nuggets have close to $96 million in guaranteed contracts, so Denver will undoubtedly go over the cap when trying to keep Grant. And to be honest, the Nuggets should be willing to spend to keep an important player who helped contribute to their postseason run.
Outside of Murray and Jokic, Grant is one of the most all-around players on the court. He adds versatility, especially as a defender, which the Denver Nuggets cannot afford to lose. We saw how difficult it was for Jokic to guard Anthony Davis in the post. I’m not saying that Grant is an impenetrable wall, but losing Grant would be a severe blow to a team that is competing in a stacked Western Conference. They were only last-second AD shot away from making it an exciting series against the Los Angeles Lakers.