Syracuse men’s basketball: what’s next for Jerami Grant’s NBA career?

Assuming he stays there by the time the offseason ends, this will be Grant’s fifth NBA team in his NBA career. Grant, who was drafted No. 39 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, previously had stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and Portland, most recently.

Despite being in the league for some time, Grant certainly still brings plenty of value to any team.

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Grant’s archetype — a forward who can both knock down threes at an efficient rate and be a multi-position defender — remains the league’s highest commodity. While he isn’t the elitist of defenders or the best of rebounders (career 3.9 RPG), he can fit into the larger scheme and won’t necessarily be “hunted” by opponents.

Last season, he averaged 18.6 PPG in just under 30 minutes per contest, and his perimeter efficiency is especially noteworthy. Grant knocked down 39% of his 6.1 attempts per game. That’s been a constant for years for him. Across his last four seasons and 221 games (201 as a starter) in Portland, he’s been at 39% on 5.8 APG.

Also, Grant has been a reliable 15- to 20-point scorer. Pair that with being wing-sized and theoretically fitting into any defense, and he can still retain his value well past his true prime. In 2026-27, Grant will be playing his age-32 season.

In Memphis, it will be interesting to see how the team manages him.

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On the one hand, Grant’s aforementioned skill set and veteran expertise in the league will help a franchise that is now turning the page on the Morant Era and moving into a full-on rebuild. Memphis needs that for a team with a new young core of guys like Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells.

On the other hand, Memphis’ offseason may not be done quite yet. Take a look at the Grizzles’ roster, and it’s clear the team is *way above the 15-player limit. That came via the moves Memphis made during the offseason, new draft picks, and younger players from the previous season. Grant can be moved by Memphis starting on August 29, according to Spotrac, so it remains to be seen if he stays or goes.

Grant’s current deal is also a hurdle in any potential move.

He can still be under contract for at least two more seasons. This is part of a five-year, $160 million deal he previously signed with Portland. Grant’s 2026-27 salary is guaranteed at just over $34 million. He then boasts a player option for just over $36 million for the 2027-28 season.

For any team, even with the value he can bring to a better team than Memphis, it’s a big financial pill to swallow, especially in an era of the second apron and new financial restrictions that franchises are navigating. Grant’s 2026-27 salary makes up 20.7% of the cap that year; for the player option season, it would be 20.9%.

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Of note, teams are still willing to pay in the ballpark of those figures. The challenge is taking that salary in midseason, especially when it’s tougher to find the matching salary and adequate flexibility to make it work.

What most likely happens is that either Grant gets dealt again, or he stays in Memphis for at least the start of the year and gets moved during the trade deadline or next offseason.

Another intriguing option is that if Grant stays, he could decline the player option to sign a longer deal.

A realistic example is someone like Andrew Wiggins with the Miami Heat. Wiggins just signed a three-year, $64 million extension. In this case, Wiggins accepted his $30.2 million player option for this year, then added two years at the remaining $34 million. A similar configuration will likely happen with Grant, either declining or accepting the option, and either in Memphis or with a new team.

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Again, Grant will have options, and it will certainly be interesting to see what comes next for the veteran ‘Cuse alum.