The Boston Celtics reportedly made a minor trade late Tuesday night to free up salary cap space. Is a larger move coming?
The Detroit Pistons are open to trading star forward Jerami Grant, per multiple reports, and several teams have shown interest in his services -- including the Celtics.
Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer lists Boston as one of nine teams -- including Eastern Conference competitors New York, Detroit, Washington and Indiana -- that have "signaled interested" in Grant.
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But Fischer also added this:
"Boston showed initial intrigue in Grant, but the Celtics were recently categorized to B/R as an unlikely destination."
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Grant hasn't played since Dec. 10 after tearing a ligament in his right thumb. The 27-year-old was averaging 20.1 points per game prior to his injury, however, and is coming off a career season for Detroit in which he averaged 22.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest.
Grant is a versatile defender at 6-foot-8 and would form a formidable wing trio in Boston if paired with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. His asking price is steep, however: The Pistons are seeking "two first-round picks or one first-round pick plus a high-upside young player" in return for Grant, per Fischer.
If the Celtics indeed are uninterested in moving Robert Williams, then they don't have much to offer in terms of high-upside young players. Aaron Nesmith, Payton Pritchard and Romeo Langford have played well at times, but other teams have more intriguing young assets.
Grant also is seeking a "primary" offensive role, Fischer reports, and would cost the C's $40.1 million over the next two seasons if they added him.
The eight-year veteran makes sense for Boston on some levels, but it's not a perfect fit, and "league personnel" told Fischer they view the Wizards as favorites to land Grant. So, as fans ponder what moves Brad Stevens will make next, they can probably rule out Grant coming to Boston for now.