If Monte is for sure going “big name hunting” for a scorer this offseason, below is how I’d rank the available/familiar names in order of preference (which takes into account not only their floor impact, fit, age, etc. but also how much I think it would cost us to acquire them):
- Jerami Grant
- Lauri Markkanen
- Brandon Ingram
- Kyle Kuzma
- Julius Randle
- Zach LaVine
I still like the idea of going after Grant due to his usage, efficiency, shooting, size/length, defensive potential, ability to play PF, and the fact that I think we could acquire him while keeping Devin Carter (whereas, Carter would have to be included if we’re trading for Markkanen).
The other interesting thing about going after Grant now that we have Devin Carter on this team is that Carter is an extremely good rebounder. I think that helps cover for Grant’s deficiencies here that much more (on top of pairing him with a C who leads the league in rebounds).