NBA Trade Rumors: Celtics are closing in on Jerami Grant

The 2022 NBA Trade Deadline arrives this week, and there has been a bit of activity already leading up to it. The biggest deal thus far is arguably Norman Powell being traded from Portland to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he scored 28 on debut. The Indiana Pacers finally made a move as well, sending Caris LeVert to the surprising Cleveland Cavaliers.

With just a few days left before the trade season expires, there are still plenty of discussions taking place. Let’s take one final look at the hottest rumors from around the league before the deadline arrives on Feb. 10.

Bulls and Celtics both covet Jerami Grant

Arguably the most discussed trade piece this cycle has been Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant. Grant would be a difference-maker for every team in the league, and his offensive prowess immediately relieves the pressure on any existing stars.

It simply doesn’t make sense for the Pistons to continue giving him minutes when they can parlay his talent into multiple young pieces to help build for the future. The Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls are both interested in Grant as the proud franchises look to bolster their lineups for a championship run.

We’ll finally get to see this week if the Pistons are ready to make a deal for their prized possession.

Dennis Schroder's time in Boston could be coming to an end

The Celtics are in the market to add a third key piece to supplement their young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and they may be able to find one by offloading point guard Dennis Schroder.

Schroder is a veteran with many stops now along his NBA career, and is a serviceable option for a team that wants experience and scoring from their top ballhandler. He is third on the Celtics with 14.4 points per game, but when playoffs come around Tatum and Brown will certainly take over some of the ball handling duties and render Schroder less valuable on this roster.

If the Celtics decide to make a big move, Schroder is the player most likely to be getting in touch with his real estate agent.

Chicago would love to add another big

The Chicago Bulls recently had an offer out for San Antonio Spurs’ center Jakob Poeltl rejected, an interesting development that shows they are clearly in the market to be buyers as they sit third in the Eastern Conference at 33-21.

The East is stacked again with the Milwaukee Bucks making a steady climb up the rankings and the Miami Heat looking very formidable in the pole position. The Cavaliers have been an overachieving surprise and the Brooklyn Nets can never be counted out so long as Kevin Durant is on the team. The Philadelphia 76ers are getting MVP-caliber play from Joel Embiid, and the Celtics and Hawks are still lurking as well.

It makes sense that the Bulls are looking to strengthen their lineup as they seek to stay in the upper-echelon, and depth at the center position behind veteran Nikola Vucevic is clearly where they are seeking support.

The Bulls may not have struck gold on their first effort with Poeltl, but with a few days left I fully expect them to keep digging.