TUALATIN — Jerami Grant strolled toward a horde of microphones and cameras, fist-bumped several reporters and flashed a wide smile.

Disgruntled? Unhappy?

A problem?

Hardly. Grant raised a few eyebrows earlier this week, when, at the Portland Trail Blazers’ media day, he squashed the notion he was preparing to surrender his starting job first time since the 2019-20 season.

“Nah,” Grant said, when asked if he had thought about coming off the bench this season. “I don’t really expect that.”

It wasn’t just the words, but also his tone. Grant seemed to find the idea ludicrous. Later in his interview, when he admitted he didn’t expect to return to the Blazers after a summer of trade speculation, fans naturally questioned Grant’s happiness.

But he stiff-armed any controversy during a

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