Report: Detroit Pistons trade Jerami Grant in first NBA Draft week deal

The 2022 NBA Draft is more than 24 hours away, and the trades are getting started.

The Detroit Pistons are sending star forward Jerami Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers for a 2025 first-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. That draft pick, via the Milwaukee Bucks, is top-four protected, according to Wojnarowski. The Pistons also created plenty of cap space with the deal.

Detroit was working to trade Grant through the season and rumors swirled at the trade deadline before he ultimately stayed with the Pistons. The former Syracuse star averaged 19.2 points per game in 47 appearances for Detroit in 2021-22 as he dealt with injuries. Now, he’s heading to a Trail Blazers team that’s trying to revamp its roster after trading CJ McCollum at the trade deadline.

The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Grant as the No. 39 overall pick in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft. He played two full years there before getting traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016, where he played until 2019. After a year with the Denver Nuggets in 2019-20, Grant headed to the Pistons for the last two seasons.

Former Notre Dame star Pat Connaughton exercises option to remain with Milwaukee Bucks

Former Notre Dame star Pat Connaughton exercised his $5.7 million option on Wednesday to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2022-23 season, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. He was a second-round draft pick for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2015 NBA Draft, but was subsequently traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, where he began his professional career. He’ll now be eligible to sign a contract extension with the Bucks this offseason.

Connaughton had one of his best seasons last year with the Bucks. He set career highs with 9.9 points in 26 minutes per game during 65 game appearances. His production got a bump after Milwaukee traded former Villanova star Donte DiVincenzo to the Sacramento Kings at the trade deadline.

Connaughton played four years at Notre Dame and was a full-time starter for his final three seasons. The Fighting Irish earned a No. 3 seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament when he was a senior, advancing all the way to the Elite Eight. He finished his college career averaging 10.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for Notre Dame, shooting 38.6 percent from outside.

Connaughton’s best season from three-point range came in the 2014-15 season, when he shot 42.3 percent from deep. He was named third-team All-ACC in 2015.