Pistons: Grades for Jerami Grant’s first season as the No. 1 option

Jerami Grant signed one of the more controversial contracts of the 2020 offseason, joining the Detroit Pistons on a three-year, $60 million deal.

He was coming off an outstanding performance in the NBA bubble, displaying his defensive chops along with an offensive repertoire that looked like something that could become potent in the right situation. The problem was, he already WAS in the right situation, or so it seemed.

The Detroit Pistons had one of their least successful on-court seasons in franchise history, but thanks to Jerami Grant, it all went according to plan

Grant was the third wheel on a Denver Nuggets roster with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, along with a deep and talented roster that was coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance. And the Nuggets were offering him the same three-year, $60 million deal the Pistons availed.

What more could he want?

Well, Grant realized that his progression in the league was likely capped by playing alongside such talented teammates, and at 26 years of age (now 27), there was next to no chance that at the end of his deal he would have the chance of being a truly elite player himself if he chose to strike out on his own.

For a player who wanted more, and who wanted to truly test his own personal boundaries on and off the court, it made sense for him to depart the safety and security of Denver for the comparative wild unknown of Detroit.

The Pistons were coming off one of the worst years in franchise history, had a fledgling general manager in Troy Weaver, and were known for nothing but mediocrity at best for the past decade. If ever there was a spot for an ambitious player like Jerami Grant to find out what he was made of, it was the Motor City.

Grant got an idea of what he’s made of, and so did the rest of us. Let’s take a look at his first season in Detroit and grade it.