Syracuse, N.Y. — Jerami Grant has been a somewhat mysterious figure as he journeys the country to prepare for NBA Draft day.
Grant's agent, B.J. Armstrong, keeps his prospects notoriously close, and only limited information about Grant has trickled out thus far as he works out in anticipation of the Draft. On Wednesday, Grant worked out for the Phoenix Suns (Nos. 14, 18, 27 picks in the Draft) and told reporters there he had made previous stops in Chicago (19) and Minnesota (13) and had planned to visit Houston (25) today and Utah (5, 23) on Saturday.
"Traveling to different cities to put in work towards my dream is an unbelievable adventure," Grant wrote on Instagram. "Don't take a single opportunity towards YOUR dream for granted."
Grant, whose physical measurements wowed observers at the NBA Combine, did not participate in drills there, where he was expected to put up eye-popping jumping numbers. He is considered one of the more elite athletes in the draft, but questions about his shooting stroke, his ability to create his own shot and his NBA position persist.
ESPN's Chad Ford ranks him anywhere from No. 16 to No. 27. Draft Express puts him at No. 25.
In Phoenix yesterday, Ryan McDonough, the Suns young GM, had this to say about Grant after the SU forward's performance (via SB Nation):
"His length and athleticism are pretty freakish. He had some really impressive finishes over the top today and made a few athletic plays that not many guys can make, especially at that age. The transition from the power forward to the small forward is a difficult one, and sometimes can take a few years ... but he has the physical tools. He has the length, athleticism, and bounce to make that work."
Suns coach Jeff Hornacek weighed in on Grant's shooting. Grant managed to make 29 percent of his jump shots (via Draft Express) last season. He took only five 3-point shots all year and missed all of them. He shot 50 percent overall and 67 percent from the free-throw line, where he has improved dramatically since arriving at SU.
"(My shooting) definitely needs to get better," Grant told reporters in Phoenix. "It's improving. It's been improving since I've been in college and after the season. It definitely needs to get a lot better before I play in the NBA, but I think it can get there."
"He's the first one to say 'I'm working on that part of my game,'" Hornacek said. "It might take him a few years to get out there, but I think at some point he could even be a stretch-four guy, as long as he keeps working on that shot."
Here's a Draft Express interview with Grant at the NBA Combine: