Jerami Grant

After one year, and one impressive playoff run, in Denver, Grant took his talents to Detroit last season and went from productive role player to featured scorer. Grant posted career highs nearly across the board, averaging 22.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 blocks, while draining 2.1 threes per game at a 35.0 percent clip. Grant did slow down as the season progressed, and he missed several games down the stretch as Detroit shifted its focus toward lottery positioning. Heading into 2021-22, Grant returns as the Pistons' most-established player, but he'll no longer be the chief focus after the team drafted Cade Cunningham with the No. 1 overall pick. Grant still figures to be a priority, but developing Cunningham, and the rest of the young core, could lead to a downturn in overall production.

Occupying a sixth-man role with the Nuggets, Grant averaged 12.0 points on 47.8 percent shooting, 3.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 combined blocks-plus-steals in 26.6 minutes last season. He also hit 1.4 threes at 38.9 percent and converted 75.0 percent of his free throws. Those numbers were solid, but relatively modest compared to his previous season on the Thunder. Grant still showed flashes at points, especially late in the season and in the bubble. Heading into 2020-21, he should take on a much bigger role with the Pistons, for who he signed a three-year, $60 million contract. For an idea of what sort of numbers the Pistons believe Grant can put up, we can look at his production with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray off the court for the Nuggets last season. With those two on the bench, Grant averaged 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per 36 minutes (561-minute sample). If Grant can achieve that, he'll easily crack the Top 100. However, Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose remain on the roster, so Grant won't have the offensive to himself quite yet.

After spending the majority of his career as a reserve, Grant finally received an opportunity to start for a Thunder team last year that didn't have much depth. He ended up averaging 32.7 minutes per game, which was nearly six more minutes per night than his career mark. While his numbers weren't off the charts, he was productive with averages of 13.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 three-pointers and 1.3 blocks. This season, he finds himself in a much different situation as a member of a Nuggets team that has significant depth at forward and center. Immediately ahead of Grant is Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic and Will Barton. Still, Grant's three-position upside should afford him a healthy floor of reserve minutes, likely in the low-20s. His true potential lies in whether he can outshine the likes of Mason Plumlee, Michael Porter Jr. and Torrey Craig.

Grant continued his role as a bench staple for the Thunder last season, seeing 20.3 minutes per contest and logging time at power forward, small forward and center. A high-level athlete, Grant’s most impactful skill is his all-around defense, averaging 2.8 combined blocks/steals per 36 minutes for his career. He also plays within himself on offense, scoring 8.4 points per game with a 57.0 effective field-goal percentage. With starting power forward Carmelo Anthony being traded away in the offseason, Grant immediately becomes a candidate to enter the starting five for OKC, though coach Billy Donovan may opt to insert Patrick Patterson, who is a far superior three-point shooter, for floor-spacing. Regardless, Grant’s minutes should see an uptick into the mid-20s. With Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Dennis Schroder in the fold, Grant still may not be asked to take a high volume of shots for the team. Considering he'll be entering his age 24 season, however, Grant still has the potential to improve his scoring ability. Ultimately, from a Fantasy perspective, how much his defense and rebounding can trend upwards with increased run will determine his value.

Grant was involved in a rare early-season trade from the Sixers to the Thunder this past November, and he ended up averaging just over 19.0 minutes per game for Oklahoma City across 78 outings. Only four of those appearances were starts, and his 2017-18 role on the team is lining up to be very similar while providing backup minutes to the more-established options at power forward of Patrick Patterson and Enes Kanter. At six-foot-eight, Grant offered up an average of 1.0 block and 0.5 three-pointers per game last season, which made him a little more valuable than his 19.0 minutes per game might suggest, especially in deeper formats in need of those ancillary categories. His track record over the last three years suggest that he’ll continue to be efficient in those two categories, but it’s hard to imagine him being afforded many more minutes given the current roster construction.

Grant saw extended minutes in the Sixers’ frontcourt during his second season, with injuries to Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and Carl Landry all creating openings for court time. The 6-foot-8 forward used those extra opportunities to put his athleticism on full display, leading the team in blocks (1.6 per game) while averaging useful marks of 4.7 rebounds and 0.7 steals. Grant’s contributions on the offensive end left the team wanting more, however, with his lack of proficiency from three-point range (24%) and struggles with finishing near the rim serving as the best illustrations of his limitations as a scorer. The Sixers should still have room for Grant in their rotation in 2016-17 due to his rim-protecting skills and ability to guard wings and big men, but he’s in line for a significant minute reduction with No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons in line to see most of the action at power forward. Grant will need to make dramatic strides with his shooting if he hopes to eventually gain a full-time starting role in the league.

The 39th selection in the 2014 NBA draft by the 76ers, Grant missed the entire preseason and the first 15 games of the regular season, all losses by the Sixers, because of a sprained right ankle and dehydration. He finished his rookie year averaging 6.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 block, and 0.6 steals in 21 minutes per game over 65 games. Grant transferred his offensive struggles from college and shot an abysmal 35 percent from the field and 59 percent from the foul line. After attempting just five total three-pointers in his final year at Syracuse, Grant fired 2.4 three-pointers per game at a 31-percent clip in coach Brett Brown's system, completely sinking his overall accuracy. Grant's 7-foot-3 wingspan on the perimeter offers the Sixers defensive versatility and a quality shot blocker, but his offensive game requires refinement. He lacked a general plan when driving toward the rim and struggled converting contested layups, hitting 48 percent of his shots in the restricted area. Grant showed marginal offensive improvement during the most recent summer league session, converting 48 percent of his field goals while hoisting 3.3 three-pointers per game. Ultimately, Grant may win the starting small forward role because of his defensive acumen, but that won't necessarily grant him the minutes he'd need to be a factor in most fantasy leagues.

Jerami Grant is entering his rookie season in the NBA, having been drafted with the 39th pick this June. In his final season at Syracuse, his sophomore year, he averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks in 31 minutes per game through 32 games played. He shot 50 percent from the field on 8.4 attempts per game and 67 percent from the free-throw line on 5.6 attempts per game. Grant is only 20-years-old, and is perhaps the most raw of the 76ers' five rookies. He is 6-8 with a 7-3 wingspan and weighs 214 pounds. Grant's greatest assets are his athleticism and his willingness to hustle on both offense and defense, but his skills need refinement on both sides of the ball. He possesses an unusual ability to draw fouls, reaching the free-throw line on 26 percent of his possessions as a sophomore. Grant is a non-entity from the three-point line, where he attempted only five three-pointers last season, missing all of them. He may have difficulty making the 76ers' final 15-man roster, and if he does, he is likely to spend most of this season buried towards the bottom of the depth chart.