Signing with Wizards is ‘dream come true’ for Jerian Grant

An unusual NBA season for most has turned into a dream come true for new Washington Wizards guard Jerian Grant. With Davis Bertans opting out of the season restart in Orlando, Grant was added to the roster to provide depth at the position.

Grant is a 6-4, 204-pound guard who appeared in 39 games (37 starts) with the Wizards’ NBA G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, this season, averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. At the conclusion of the NBA G League season in March, Grant was shooting .469 from the field and .435 from three-point range, the fifth-best percentage in the league. Grant topped 20-plus points 12 times on the season and tallied five double-doubles (three point-assist and two point-rebound).

“Playing with the Go-Go was actually my first time playing and being home like that since high school,” Grant said. “That was exciting for everybody, but to actually be on the Wizards and to be able to call myself a Wizard. Not only my family, but my friends and people from the city that know me and know that I’m from here were really excited for me. That type of support really meant a lot.”

Grant, the son of former Washington Bullet Harvey Grant, played four seasons at Notre Dame, where he was twice named to all-conference teams and was a Consensus All-American in the 2014-15 season. He was originally selected by the Wizards with the 19^th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, but was traded on draft night to the Atlanta Hawks and then again to the New York Knicks.

“I’ve been around the Wizards, been around this area my entire life,” Grant said. “Being a fan, having my dad play for them, being a ball boy, seeing all those players come through. Juwan Howard, Rod Strickland, Chris Webber – those guys are people I looked up to, people I wanted to be like. To finally be able to put on that jersey means a lot.”

Since Grant played for the Go-Go, he has some familiarity with his new teammates and the Wizards coaching staff. Therefore, he deems the few weeks of training camp in Orlando before seeding games begin enough time for him to build chemistry with his teammates.

“We kind of know each other’s games but to actually be able to play with each other for three weeks before we have to start a game is going to be great,” Grant stated. “Once I get in there with these guys, I feel like it’s just basketball, and having three weeks of training camp is going to go a long way.”

A native of Silver Spring, MD, and a DeMatha High School product, Grant has appeared in 273 games with 61 starts in his four-year NBA career with the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic. In 60 games with the Magic in 2018-19, Grant averaged 4.2 points and 2.6 assists per game and holds career averages of 6.1 points and 2.9 assists per game.

“I feel like I have a lot of different aspects to my game,” Grant said. “Whether it’s defense, making shots, creating, being somebody that can help the team win. I’ve been in the playoffs a few times. I’ve played in the playoffs, started games in the playoffs. (I am) someone that can help the team going forward. I feel like going down there (Orlando) is a real opportunity.”