One of the summer’s biggest restricted free agents was Sixers guard Quentin Grimes, who eventually took the qualifying offer to stay with the team this season before hitting the unrestricted free agency market next summer. As tumultuous as Grimes’ contract situation has been, the former Piston might still warrant a look from Detroit’s front office next year if he’s willing to sign for the right price.
Quentin Grimes could be underrated in a year
Grimes was in a tricky situation this summer not through any fault of his own but rather the team around him. Philadelphia currently has a team built to win now, with significant investments in aging stars Joel Embiid and Paul George. They had one of the most injury-riddled teams last season, and Grimes was able to break out while other players were missing games and the team itself was losing.
After being traded to the Sixers halfway through the season, Grimes finished strong in his 28 games there. Over those games, he averaged 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while being a lead initiator on offense. His shooting percentages of 47 percent from the field and 37 percent from three are pretty impressive considering the weak supporting cast he had and the high degree of difficulty on his shots.
In fact, those shooting percentages line up almost exactly with Grimes’ splits in Dallas before being traded to Philly and his last fully healthy season in New York. In those stints, he played more of a supporting role as a 3-and-D player so his consistent efficiency suggests he can scale up in different roles.
When Grimes played in Detroit for six games, it was a disaster. He was injured throughout the 2023-24 season before being traded to the Pistons and it reflected in his stats. Over those six games, he averaged just five points per game on 36 percent shooting from the field and 14 percent from three. However, it’s clear that stretch was an outlier for an otherwise talented shooter and scorer.
The main point of contention between Grimes and the Sixers has been in valuation. Grimes reportedly views himself as a player worth $30M per season but the Sixers view him in the $10M range. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.
But the Pistons might sneak into negotiations with Grimes next offseason when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, if some key caveats are met. First, Ausar Thompson must be capable of playing the power forward position. Tobias Harris’ contract is coming off the books after this season, and the replacement at his position must be Thompson if Grimes is brought in as a starter.
Second, the Pistons will have to get good deals on multiple contracts. They’ll need both Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren to agree on contract extensions in the lower end of their potential pay ranges (or just decide to move on from one or both for cheaper options). And they’ll also need Grimes to come down from his $30M figure closer to something like $20M per season.
But if all goes right, Grimes can be a great on-court fit in Detroit capable of being an off-ball weapon or on-ball creator when Cade Cunningham is off the court. His versatility and excellence on offense is exactly what the Pistons need more of in their starting lineup.