Jerian Grant

Josh Cohen

LAS VEGAS – In today’s small-ball NBA, where the game is becoming increasingly position-less and more uniform in size across the board, versatility has become a top ability for any player.

Jerian Grant, a 6-foot-4, 205-pounder with extensive defensive skills, should fit right in on an Orlando Magic squad that traded for him late Saturday night because of a versatility that allows him to thrive at multiple positions.

In a three-team, four-player deal, Orlando acquired reserve center Timofey Mozgov and Grant, while sending Bismack Biyombo and two future second-round picks (2019 and 2020 NBA Drafts) to the Charlotte Hornets. Chicago, Grant’s previous team, acquired Julyan Stone and his non-guaranteed contract to complete the three-team swap that Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said came together quickly on Sunday.

For the Magic, Grant is the focal point of the trade because of their need for depth at the point guard position. At 25 years old and possessing great size, the Magic feel like the third-year pro could be poised to take a big step in terms of production. And the fact that he can play multiple positions makes him an even great commodity to the Magic.

``That’s a big plus. In today’s NBA, having versatility and being able to play two positions is important,’’ Magic head coach Steve Clifford said on Sunday morning from the Thomas and Mack Center where Orlando (1-0) will face the Memphis Grizzlies at 9:30 ET later tonight (TV: ESPN 2).

``At (Grant’s) size, it is possible that he could play the (point guard position) and play with some with D.J. (Augustin) in some situations if he can guard (shooting guards),’’ Clifford added.

Clifford, who was hired by the Magic on May 30, is a strong believer in that he won’t know fully about the abilities and drive of a player until he coaches him. While he’s eager to work with Grant, the coach didn’t want to speculate on how he sees the point guard battle between the incumbent Augustin, Grant and free-agent signee Isaiah Briscoe playing out. Practice time and game production will be the deciding factors, Clifford stressed.

``I’ll be honest, I don’t do it that way. I’ve never coached (Grant) and he’s never been a full-time starter. That (post-trade depth-chart talk) is all conjecture,’’ Clifford said. ``You bring (Grant) in and you work with him and see where he’s at and then you make a decision.

``D.J. Augustin is a very good player and a professional player,’’ Clifford added. ``He can play against starters, he’s a knock-down shooter and he’s a terrific pick-and-roll player. I have a lot of confidence in the (2018-19) year that he can have. When we make trades or bring guys in, I’m not into, `He can do this, he can do that.’ Let’s get them here, start to work with them and see what kind of worker he is. Some guys take off immediately and some guys take more time. To me, that’s the pragmatic way you should work with your roster.’’

Grant is the son of former NBA player Harvey Grant, whose brother, Horace Grant, was a star power forward for the Magic on two different occasions. Jerian Grant’s brother, Jerami, plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder, while his other brother, Jerai, has played professionally in several leagues around the world.

For Magic players Jonathan Isaac and Wes Iwundu, members of Orlando’s Summer League entry in Las Vegas, they were shocked and saddened to see Biyombo – one of the more outspoken and energetic players in the Orlando locker room – depart via a trade. Iwundu’s dressing stall at the Amway Center was two spots away from that of Biyombo, and the veteran big man imparted plenty of wisdom onto Isaac last season while the rookie was battling various injuries.

``I was surprised at the type of trade that it was, a three-team trade,’’ the 20-year-old Isaac admitted. ``It’s tough, man. Biz is a great guy, one of the great leaders on our team and he brought it every night, so I’m sad to see him go. He had that effort and was that grinder who brings it every night and does a lot of the dirty work that some guys don’t want to do.’’

Added Iwundu: ``It’s part of the business, but you know, Biz is a good friend of mine. I’ll miss his presence on the team, but I understand it’s a business at the same time. Whatever’s best for the organization, I trust those guys up there (in the front office) to make the decisions and make the calls.’’

As for the 31-year-old Mosgov, he’s bounced around the NBA over the last couple of seasons. Once the starting center on Cleveland teams that won a World Championship in 2015-16 and reached the NBA Finals in 2014-15, Mozgov has played for the Los Angeles Lakers (54 games in 2016-17) and the Brooklyn Nets (31 games in 2017-18) in recent years. He was officially dealt from the Nets to the Hornets on Friday in a swap for former Magic center Dwight Howard. The 7-foot-1, 275-pound Mozgov, who was born in the former Soviet Union, has two years remaining on his contract – just as Biyombo does now with Charlotte.

``I’d say (he could play) against other traditional centers,’’ Clifford said. ``He does, I believe, have the ability to step out and shoot corner threes. He’s added that to his game. He’s a big guy with a live body. That’s what I would say – (he’d be best-suited facing) other teams that play traditional centers that aren’t range shooters.’’

Grant, a Notre Dame product who was the 19thpick of the 2015 NBA Draft, is coming off a career-best season in which he averaged 8.4 points, 4.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 0.9 steals for the Bulls. He made 26 starts this past season and has started 60 of his 213 games over the past three years. His addition gives the Magic yet another lengthy, defensive-minded player to pair alongside the 6-foot-9 Aaron Gordon, 7-foot center Mohamed Bamba and the 6-11 Isaac.

``Man, the more length that we have the better,’’ Isaac said. ``If we just come together and everybody has that spirit to get stops every night, we’ll win games.’’

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.

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Steve Clifford Impressed by Jerian Grant's Versatility, Says New Guard Will Fit In Very Well

LAS VEGAS – In a flurry of moves designed to better balance their roster and create playing time for rookie center Mohamed Bamba, the Orlando Magic acquired point guard Jerian Grant and reserve center Timofey Mozgov on Saturday night.

A three-team trade that has the Magic sending center Bismack Biyombo and a pair of future second round draft picks to the Charlotte Hornets and the Chicago Bulls getting Julyan Stone also includes Orlando filling a major need at point guard with Grant and clearing playing time for Bamba, the No. 6 pick in last June’s NBA Draft. The Magic, Bulls and Hornets agreed to the three-team, four-player deal on Saturday night from Las Vegas where much of the NBA is headquartered for the next two weeks for the MGM Resorts NBA Summer League.

“We’re excited to acquire both players and obviously we’ve been considering how to best address our point guard position," Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said. "This trade fell into place for us. I think it’s a good move for all three teams."

"There were some elements of (the trade) that we were discussing individually the last few weeks, but the deal actually came together just today," he added. "It was really kind of a quick-hitter.”

Prior to the trade, Orlando had just two true point guards on the roster in veteran D.J. Augustin and rookie free agent Isaiah Briscoe. Grant, who averaged 8.4 points, 4.6 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 22.8 minutes a night last season for the Bulls, gives the Magic some steady depth at the lead guard spot.

Many talent evaluators throughout the NBA feel that the 25-year-old Grant – who has started 60 games in his three-year career – can be a far-more productive contributor if given more of a steady and prominent role. The Notre Dame product’s 4.6:1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio last season proves his efficiency and it should improve even more with a bigger role in Orlando. However, his shooting – he connected on just 41.6 percent of his field-goal tries and only 32.6 percent of his 3-point shots – must improve.

"He’s still young and he’s a growing player and hopefully he can thrive with us," Weltman said about the new point guard addition. "He’s going to get an opportunity. He’s a good defender, he’s got size and he knows how to play.”

The trade brings an end to Biyombo’s mercurial run in Orlando after just two seasons. The 6-foot-9, 255-pound center was brought to Orlando in the summer of 2016 with the hopes that he could transform the Magic’s defense into a fearsome unit. However, his offensive limitations and his lack of fit in Orlando’s defensive system sapped his effectiveness.

Biyombo, 25, played in 81 games in 2016-17 and all 82 games in 2017-18, but he was used only sparingly behind starter Nikola Vucevic. His production this past season (5.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks) fell off and he never reached what he did in Toronto in 2015-16 (5.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks) to earn a lucrative free-agent payday from the Magic. He did register one of the best games of his career this past season with the Magic, scoring a personal high of 21 points against the Washington Wizards on Jan. 12.

Biyombo returns to Charlotte, the franchise that traded for him on draft night in 2011. Biyombo played for the Bobcats/Hornets from 2011-15 with only moderate success before bolting for Toronto. He was recently named a ``Global Good Honoree’’ by BET Network for his leadership in building a school back in his native Democratic Republic of Congo for children in need.

With Biyombo gone, Orlando will have far more minutes with which to use Vucevic and Bamba at the center position. Vucevic is the longest-tenured player on the Magic at six seasons, while Bamba is just joining the squad following last month’s NBA Draft. Bamba, who has the longest wingspan ever recorded in the NBA at 7 feet, 10 inches, was especially impressive in his Summer League debut on Friday, contributing 11 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot in Orlando’s 86-80 defeat of Brooklyn.

“I love Biz, he’s a great person and a hard worker," Weltman said. "We appreciate everything that he’s done for us and wish him nothing but the best.”

Mozgov, 31, has been a man on the move over the past three-plus NBA seasons. Once the starting center on Cleveland teams that won a World Championship in 2015-16 and reached the NBA Finals in 2014-15, Mozgov has played for the Los Angeles Lakers (54 games in 2016-17) and the Brooklyn Nets (31 games in 2017-18) in recent years. He was officially dealt from the Nets to the Hornets on Friday in a swap for former Magic center Dwight Howard, who the Nets have since waived. The 7-foot-1, 275-pound Mozgov, who was born in the former Soviet Union, has two years remaining on his contract – just as Biyombo does now with Charlotte.

"Mozy is a terrific guy," Weltman said. "It’s a move where hopefully a fresh start with a couple of the players (like Mozgov) will work out. It’s all about how they assimilate with their new teams.”

Chicago gets Stone, who has a non-guaranteed contract that could allow the Bulls to create more future salary cap space.

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Magic Acquire Jerian Grant and Timofey Mozgov in Three-Team Trade

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