Syracuse Basketball: Jerami Grant could help Celtics make playoff run
By Neil Adler
Former Syracuse basketball star Jerami Grant is having a break-out season in his first year with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, however, it looks like a possibility that Grant won’t finish this term with his current team.
According to an article by Geoff Herbert of Syracuse.com, the Boston Celtics are showing interest in potentially picking up Grant, who in the off-season signed a three-year deal with the Pistons worth reportedly around $60 million. Herbert’s story on Grant, by the way, cited a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
If Boston ends up acquiring Grant from Detroit, that would likely enable him to significantly contribute to a playoff-contending squad. As of Thursday afternoon, the Celtics were No. 4 in the Eastern Conference standings, while the Pistons were last in that conference.
Grant, according to his bio on ESPN.com, was 23rd in the NBA in scoring as of Thursday afternoon, at 23.4 points per contest. He also averages 5.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 blocks a game, while logging 36.2 minutes and connecting on 43.3 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line.
Although Grant didn’t make the cut for the 2021 NBA All-Star game, which will take place on Sunday, March 7, in Atlanta, I’d imagine that he will garner serious consideration for the league’s Most Improved Player award in the 2020-21 stanza.
Boston is reportedly interested in former Syracuse basketball player Jerami Grant.
The Celtics have possessed a so-so season to date, compared to their performances in other recent campaigns, however, Boston had won three in a row prior to its scheduled encounter with Toronto on Thursday night.
The Celtics’ roster contains several veterans, led by star point guard Kemba Walker, along with an abundance of talented young players, including small forward Jayson Tatum, shooting guard Jaylen Brown, and combo guard Marcus Smart, among others.
Grant, a 6-foot-8 forward who was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 39 overall in 2014 and suited up a stanza ago for the Denver Nuggets, would undeniably give Boston a boost as the Celtics seek to go on a long journey in the NBA Playoffs.
According to Herbert’s piece, Boston also has interest in Nikola Vucevic, a center for the Orlando Magic. The NBA’s trade deadline for the 2020-21 term is March 25.