Thunder reunion with two-way power forward could make for ideal trade scenario

The OKC Thunder have been severely ravaged by injuries during these early stages of the 2024-25 NBA season.

From Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein's preseason ailments that have kept them sidelined through the first month and change of the campaign to Chet Holmgren's recent right hip injury that will now force him out through at least mid-January, Oklahoma City's depth has been heavily tested in only a matter of weeks.

Fortunately, thanks to their slew of top-notch overall talents, the ball club has managed to stay afloat amid these trying times, as they find themselves sporting the best record in the Western Conference at 11-3.

Still, even with these successes and impressive player performances when being called upon to step up, it goes without saying that the Thunder could certainly use some talent reinforcements within their arsenal, particularly down in their frontcourt where most of their injuries have taken place.

Because of this, Sir Charles in Charge's Michael Saenz is proposing the idea of OKC reuniting with one of their own former players in Jerami Grant as a way to address these rotational needs.

Potential Jerami Grant reunion a 'difference-making move' for Thunder

Though it's understood that the Thunder will soon be getting splashy free agency pick-up Isaiah Hartenstein back in the fold, as he was recently spotted without a brace for the first time since fracturing his hand back in late September, and very likely will see Holmgren return to action before year's end, there's an argument to be made that they could still use for more help up front.

Have they managed to mask their lack of size and traditional fours and fives found on the roster? Yes, but doing so has been far from an easy task.

It's taken some truly electrifying efforts from the likes of superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and new primary pivot Jalen Williams (a natural wing boasting a 6-foot-5, 211-pound frame) to do so, and even that has only resulted in a 3-2 record since Holmgren initially injured his hip.

The Thunder could seriously benefit from adding a new dynamic talent to their frontcourt rotation to help alleviate the burden and tiring tasks that SGA and J-Dub now have as the far-and-away workhorses for this team.

To Saenz, striking a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers to acquire Grant could prove to be the ideal scenario.

"Not only will adding Grant help cushion the blow of Holmgren, but he'll also help take some of the pressure off the shoulders of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the offensive end of the floor. He's a dynamic player who would help cement OKC's status as a championship contender in the Western Conference," Saenz wrote.

Since his two-and-a-half-season tenure with the Thunder that spanned from 2017 through 2019, Jerami Grant has gone on to establish himself as a real two-way difference-maker.

These last five years, in particular, have easily been the best stretch of his 11-year career, as he's gone on to drop impressive averages of 20.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and just shy of a block on 37.6 percent shooting from distance.

Not only would his talents allow him to serve as a highly capable tertiary scoring option like Saenz suggests Oklahoma City could use, but, also, his 6-foot-7 frame and 7-foot-3 wingspan would allow coach Daigneault to slot him in anywhere from the three to a small-ball five within the lineup, thus empowering even more rotational switchability while also adding some much-needed size as well.

If interested, the Thunder could very easily entice the lottery-bound Blazers to part ways with the 29-year-old forward by dangling one or multiple of their slew of draft picks in their direction -- after all, what tanking team wouldn't want these kinds of assets?

The only question that remains is whether GM Sam Presti would realistically make such an attention-grabbing, in-season move.

Based on his preseason comments, such a scenario may seem unlikely, but considering Jerami Grant can excel on both ends of the floor, can play multiple positions, and already has an established familiarity with playing in Oklahoma City, at the very least it should be a trade scenario worth considering.