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Summer trade idea for the Chicago Bulls: Oklahoma City Thunder’s Jerami Grant

By Michael RENE KANOY

Apr 12, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jerami Grant (9) shoots the ball in front of Denver Nuggets forward Juan Hernangomez (41) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jerami Grant (9) shoots the ball in front of Denver Nuggets forward Juan Hernangomez (41) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Since the Chicago Bulls are looking to get “younger and more athletic”, why not look to acquire a young stud like Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jerami Grant?

Jerami Grant has a team option with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2017-18 season and then he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on the market.

Still, this should not stop GarPax from dangling a first-round pick offer for Grant before other teams figure out that Jerian Grant‘s brother can be such a force in a rim-running offense with 3-point shooting built in.

The 39th pick from the 2014 NBA Draft, Grant was considered one of those high-risk, high-upside, freak athletes, and slowly but surely, he has found an NBA game from grinding out those early years with the Philadelphia 76ers. With the Sixers, his outside shot became more reliable while he continued to dominate with sheer athletic skill, attacking the rim. Grant is a monster shot-blocker, either on the ball or from the blind side. He can now shoot the 3 as stretch-four and he can even play pick-and-dive as a small-ball center.

GarPax may seriously consider trading a first rounder this year for a fairly developed Jerami Grant and get an explosive 22-year-old, future dynamo like Zach LaVine is for the Minnesota Timberwolves. If Grant plays with Rajon Rondo in a run-and-gun system not too different from Oklahoma City’s offense, he may actually blossom under coach Fred Hoiberg‘s rim-attacking and 3-point bombing offense.

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    • For stat line believers, Jerami scored at a 66 percent clip at to the hoop on 141 attempts this past season.  From 3-point range, Grant made 45 out of 122 shots (36.9 percent), with 44 of his made shots assisted by teammates.

    An indication that in a motion offense, Grant is an effective athletic scoring machine in his role.   His actual per game production in 2016-17 was 5.5 points and 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks playing behind OKC starters Enes Kanter and Steven Adams. Grant had higher production with the Sixers at 8.2 points and 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 shotblocks in his three seasons for Philly.

    Grant is an athlete who only needs the right team to use him as a weaponized small-ball center, the same way the Celtics use Isaiah Thomas as a dominant scoring guard. He can outposition most slower bigs as shown in his highlight reels, and he can slip past them on the pick-and-roll and just dominate with quickness and athleticism. It would also be fun to watch both Rajon Rondo and Denzel Valentine have Grant as a lob target.

    If Grant is given a roster spot, he will shine. Hoiberg should have use for a mobile, fast-twitch athlete who can roam and cut through movement traps and score like a demon. No 16th pick in the first round this year may match a seasoned NBA player like Grant, so the payoff for a trade may be better than it looks on paper.

    It should always be looking at how a player fits by looking at his best games and how he dominates opposing players at his position. Tell me anyone other than Kawhi Leonard can stop Grant as a stretch-four, post-up player or a stretch-five, pick-and-dive player?

    If the Bulls ever risk trading for Jerami Grant, they get Michael Carter-Williams playing with his ex-teammate from the 2013-14 Sixers. If Jerian’s older brother only costs a draft pick (preferably the 16th), and the Bulls eventually move Jimmy Butler that includes a top-10 pick, plus role players for the roster (or additional trade pieces for swapping with other teams), GarPax may just be putting together something that could work next year.

    Next: Chicago Bulls Blurbs: The Post-Lottery Edition

    I could only dream that the Bulls get Jerami and MCW back together, plus Nikola Mirotic, Bobby Portis and Rajon Rondo running helter-skelter shoot-outs and dunk clinics against other teams next season.