Paul George re-signing is the big news for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Jerami Grant coming back is very big as well. George is a superstar and a much better player, but Jerami Grant had some really good moments last season. He is also the possible starting power forward if Carmelo Anthony were to come off the bench or be bought out of his contract. It seems unlikely but Grant should have a larger role this upcoming season than he did last year.
Oklahoma City forward Jerami Grant has agreed to a three-year, $27M contract to return to the Thunder, league sources told ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2018
What Does This Mean For Grant And The Thunder?
Grant re-signing brings back the core of last season’s Thunder team. They won’t have to worry about signing any of the core guys next summer. Anthony will be off the books next summer, and they would have cap space to at least make a move next offseason.
Looking at this upcoming season though, Grant will help out a lot. He is such a versatile player that can be used at a few different positions. His versatility is very good for this team to have on both sides of the ball.
One thing Grant needs to improve on though is his three-point shooting. He needs to at least be able to knock down a corner three at a really good clip. The Thunder have some studs around George and Russell Westbrook, but they don’t have many shooters and don’t have much depth.
Jerami Grant was only a 29% three-point shooter this past season. He’s a career 30% three point shooter, so he was close to his average. He did shoot almost 38% during the 2016-17 season, but that seems to be more like a fluke instead of him just improving his shot. That percentage isn’t a terrible decision, but when you have Roberson in that starting lineup, it makes it tough to have another bad shooter on the floor. If they can acquire another shooter or two for the bench, it won’t be a big deal but if not there could be a legit issue.
Credit: Chris Kern
