21 up-for-grabs players who may play a starring role in NBA trade deadline rumors

These players have been mentioned in trade rumors frequently.
Los Angeles Lakers v New Orleans Pelicans - Play-In Tournament
Los Angeles Lakers v New Orleans Pelicans - Play-In Tournament / Jonathan Bachman/GettyImages
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Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers

Jerami Grant isn't a star, but he's not exactly a role player. He's somewhere firmly in the middle, and he could make a significant difference for any team. If the Portland Trail Blazers want to go all-in on their young talent, moving the 30-year-old and stocking up on assets, as they did with the aforementioned Malcolm Brogdon, would make sense.

Grant's scoring and defensive versatility are impressive. Defensively, the 6-foot-7 forward can take on a slew of different positions, including the toughest opposing wing scorer. Offensively, he's averaged over 20 points per matchup in three of the last four years, showing impressive growth compared to where he was early in his career, largely due to having the ball in his hands more.

One team that should be monitored as a suitor for Grant is the Los Angeles Lakers. He'd be a great third fiddle next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, forming a lethal trio that can play on both sides of the ball. The Lakers also have a handful of contracts that could help them absorb Grant's salary of $29.8 million, something many other contenders might not.

While joining a team like the Lakers with other top scorers would lessen his production offensively, Grant could still provide complementary scoring while taking on tough defensive assignments. He could be the missing piece for a handful of different teams.