7 players Golden State Warriors might replace Klay Thompson with by the trade deadline

6. Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers

There are two things that you should know about Jerami Grant. First, his name is actually Houston Jerami Grant, continuing a family tradition stretching back to his All-Star uncle Horace Junior Grant. The second is that Grant is eligible to be traded in January and the Portland Trail Blazers will be highly motivated to move him as quickly as possible.

Grant proved himself capable of scoring at a high level as the top option for the Detroit Pistons, but he isn’t proficient enough to drive a good NBA offense alone. He is perfect for a supporting role, however, attacking a defense when a superstar teammate creates an advantage; he thrived alongside Damian Lillard in Portland this past season, and he could do so with Stephen Curry in Golden State.

In contrast to Draymond Green or Kevon Looney, Grant would give the Warriors a true spacing element. He has shot at least 81 percent from the free-throw line in each of the past three seasons, and last year hit 40.1 percent of his 3-pointers. Opponents have to defend him no matter where he is on the court, a difficult task when also trying to stop Curry.

When Grant isn’t trying to carry an offense he is also a plus defender, with size and strength to bang inside and the mobility to defend on the perimeter. He and Andrew Wiggins would be an elite combination playing ahead of Green and Looney, and their ability to crossmatch would elevate the players around them.

Newly signed to a lucrative contract, Grant would cost the Warriors a lot of money, but he just might be worth the price.