The Detroit Pistons acquired Quentin Grimes as part of a package in a 2024 pre-deadline trade with the Knicks, and he played only six games in the second half of that season due to lingering soreness from a knee injury. That summer, the Pistons traded him to the Mavericks in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks. How has Grimes fared since then? Let the numbers speak for themselves.
He averaged 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in 22.8 minutes across 47 contests for Dallas, shooting 46.3% from the field and 39.8% from three. Grimes was doing well with the Mavericks before they traded him to the Sixers before last year's deadline, where he went on a tear to end the season.
Some thought that the 28 games Grimes played in to end the 2024-25 season were a fluke, since the Sixers were dealing with several injuries. He's proven that wrong this season. He isn't starting like he was (but he is closing games), and he's not taking nearly as many shots, but neither is surprising. As expected, Grimes is playing in a different role, but he's excelling.
He is averaging 16.9 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.7 rebounds in 31.8 minutes, shooting 46.5% from the field and 40.2% from deep.
The Pistons let guard Quentin Grimes slip away
Philadelphia didn't extend Grimes before the season, so he picked up his $8.7 million qualifying offer. As his restricted free agency saga wore on over the summer, the Pistons and Mavericks looked better for trading Grimes, especially once he signed his qualifying offer. The way he's playing now, though, makes it hard not to think about how he'd look in Detroit right now.
Malik Beasley was the Pistons' best three-point shooter last season, shooting 41.6% on 9.3 attempts per game, but he's still under investigation by the league. He's not on a team. Detroit also lost Tim Hardaway Jr. in free agency, and he shot 36.8% on 5.9 attempts per game last season.
The Pistons landed Duncan Robinson over the summer, and he's shooting 41.8% from three on 7.3 attempts. Daniss Jenkins is shooting 44.8% from three, but on 2.9 attempts per game. Detroit is shooting 34.6% from three this season, which ranks in the bottom half of the league, and averaging 11.1 makes per game, the third-lowest clip in the NBA. The team is attempting 32.1 threes per game, also the third-lowest rate in the league.
Still, the Pistons are 13-2, first in the East, but that certainly doesn't mean they wouldn't benefit from more shooting. Grimes could give them that.
Detroit didn't have to worry about paying or not paying Grimes because of the trade. If the Pistons had opted not to pay him if they kept him, and that's the route they likely would've taken, they'd now be watching his price tag go up in real time, like it is with Jalen Duren. There are worse problems to have, though.
In retrospect, it'd be nice to have Quentin Grimes in Detroit right about now. Maybe the Pistons will revisit that idea next summer.