Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant has been linked with an exit from the team only one year into a five-year, $160 million contract extension. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports has noted that Grant is drawing interest from the Los Angeles Lakers. Grant was troubled by health issues for most of the 2023-24 campaign, featuring only 54 times for Portland. He shot a career-high 40.2 percent from deep to average 21.0 points. Grant also tied his career high with 2.8 assists while grabbing 3.5 rebounds. The 30-year-old would add size and scoring ability to the Lakers, but his large contract makes it difficult to acquire him.

According to SNY's Ian Begley, several teams have "checked in" on Portland Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant. The veteran finished the 2023-24 campaign by averaging 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He also shot a career-high 40.2% from behind the arc. Without question, Grant would bolster a starting lineup for any club. However, he hasn't logged more than 63 games in any of the previous four seasons, which makes him a risky investment for teams. The same is true for fantasy managers.

Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton had a rough start with his new club but feels his first year was "amazing" overall. The 2023-24 season was almost like two different seasons for Ayton, as he greatly improved his performances after the All-Star break. The former first overall pick became a 22-12 guy following the break and ended up averaging 16.7 points and 11.1 rebounds for the season. Hopefully, we will see the post-break Ayton for the entire year in 2024-25, and he will stay clear of injury troubles -- the 25-year-old saw action in only 55 games in 2023-24.

Washington Wizards forward Deni Avdija has his sights set on improving at both ends of the court next season. He wants to be a better off-ball defender and become a better ball-handler. Avdija made a big leap in his fourth NBA campaign, averaging career-high numbers across the boards. He developed into one of Washington's top scorers, averaging 14.7 points per game, and also boosted his rebounding numbers to 7.2 per game while handing out 3.8 assists. The Israeli talent turned just 23 at the start of January and should have a lot more upside.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Dalano Banton (ankle) has been downgraded to questionable for Thursday's game versus the Golden State Warriors. A late addition to the injury report, Banton may need to sit out the front end of Portland's back-to-back on Thursday with a sprained left ankle. The 24-year-old point forward has taken on an expanded role for the 21-58 Blazers down the stretch, averaging 18.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.4 three-pointers over his latest 20 games (seven starts). Scoot Henderson could be relied on for playmaking duties against Golden State, averaging 18.4 points, 8.1 dimes, 3.5 boards, 1.3 swipes, and 2.1 threes across his last 10 outings, and his matchup outlook would also improve significantly if Klay Thompson (knee) sits out on Thursday.