Ranking trade targets for the Sacramento Kings

2. Kings should swing for the fences with Jerami Grant

The Portland Trail Blazers are reportedly hesitant to deal Jerami Grant, who has emerged as a strong force for good in their young locker room, as well as a productive player on the court. He's averaging 21.7 points on .459/.403/.803 splits and playing rock-solid defense on the wing. He is, without hyperbole, the best player on the Blazers roster.

And yet, the Blazers are rebuilding. It's a full-fledged youth movement, and Grant is taking shots away from Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe. One has to believe Portland will at least listen to offers for Grant, and the Kings should take a special interest. He is another target with a cumbersome contract — five years and $160 million — but the fit is strong for Sacramento, and there's reason to believe Grant can uphold his trade value in future seasons. This isn't necessarily an automatic sunk cost for the Kings.

Grant generally fits the archetype Sacramento should covet. He's a 3-and-D maestro at heart. Grant would immediately emerge as the Kings' most reliable defender, handling difficult matchups on the wing and covering a ton of ground with his 7-foot-3 wingspan. The Kings lack a stopper for the inevitable postseason showdowns with the Clippers, Lakers, or Suns. Somebody has to guard LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. Grant can embrace the challenge. Plus, his offensive burden would decrease in Sacramento, allowing him to allot more energy to his defense.

Having spent more than his share of time in rebuilding situations — by choice, mind you — Grant has proven that he can operate semi-effectively as a No. 1 scorer. He can create advantages driving downhill and he's a physical scorer around the basket, in addition to his 3-point competence. With Sacramento, his job would be much easier. He would receive a higher dosage of spot-up 3s and rotating defenses to attack off the catch. Fox and Sabonis are 1A and 1B on every scouting report. Grant can feast as the third fiddle while elevating the Kings' defense to another level.