According to ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Denver Nuggets have acquired Jerami Grant from the Oklahoma City Thunder for a 2020 first-round pick.
Denver is sending a top-10 protected pick over to Oklahoma City. According to Zach Lowe, if the pick does not convey over the next three seasons as a top-10 protected first round selection, it would then convert into two second rounders. The more likely scenario is that Oklahoma City gets Denver’s pick next year, which leaves the Nuggets without a draft selection for the second year in a row.
Grant is under contract for the next two seasons, but has a player option in 2020. The Nuggets currently hold early bird rights for him, which means if Grant does not pick up his player option, the Nuggets can offer him up to a four-year deal worth a total of $56,076,918 million. If Grant does pick up his option, it will give Denver full-bird rights in which they can offer him any contract they please provided that the deal is legal under the CBA.
In adding Grant, the Nuggets are getting a high energy player that provides the Nuggets more depth at power forward. Just last season, Grant averaged career-highs in points (13.6), rebounds (5.2), and three-point percentage (39.2 percent).
At 25 years old, Grant joins Denver at the prime of his career while also coming off his best season in the NBA. Not only does he have five years of NBA experience under his belt, but Grant has also played in 16 playoff games. Just last season with Oklahoma City, Grant averaged 11.6 points per game and shot 45 percent from three in five playoff games.
With the addition of Grant, the Nuggets have rescinded their qualifying offer to Trey Lyles, which allows him to become an unrestricted free agent.
In two seasons with the Nuggets, Lyles averaged 9.3 points per game, but took a step-back last season after shooting just 25 percent from three-point range. Lyles also shot just 41 percent from the field last season, which was the second lowest mark of his career.
