Remember when Quentin Grimes played for the Detroit Pistons? If you don't, it makes sense, assuming you blocked out whatever the 2024-25 season was. He landed in Detroit before the 2024 deadline in a trade with New York, played in six games, and was traded to Dallas over the summer in the Tim Hardaway Jr. deal.
The Pistons might've regretted the Grimes trade this past season, watching him carve out a role with the Mavericks and then have a breakout second half of the season with the Sixers. However, on Wednesday, fans were given a reason to be glad that Grimes left. He signed a one-year, $8.7 million qualifying offer with Philly after not receiving the multi-year deal worth $30 million annually that he hoped to get.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported that after it became clear Grimes wouldn't get $30 million annually, his camp lowered the number to $20-$25 million annually. Clearly, he didn't get anything close to what he thought he deserved.
The Sixers offered a four-year, $39 million offer that Grimes turned down. They also offered a one-year, $8.8 million deal, slightly more than his qualifying offer, but without the no-trade clause. He didn't like that, either.
Now, Grimes will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Philadelphia doesn't have leverage in a trade, not only because of his salary, but also because he has a no-trade clause. It seems likely that he'll leave the Sixers next summer, searching (again) for the payday he wants. That day may never come.
Former Pistons guard Quentin Grimes signs qualifying offer with Sixers
Grimes went on a tear that nobody saw coming in the second half of last season, averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game, shooting 46.9% from the field and 37.3% from three. The issue is that it was based on a small sample size, as it occurred in 28 games (25 starts).
That's not to say that Grimes isn't a good player, but the situation he found himself in with the injury-ravaged Sixers was unusual. He could start for Philadelphia this season, but his role will be different than what it was last season, especially if the Sixers are ever at full strength. They're currently down Jared McCain, Paul George, and Joel Embiid.
Grimes learned this summer that the number he thought he was worth wasn't how Philadelphia saw him. The only other team that had the cap space to give him the contract he wanted was Brooklyn. Next summer, there will be more teams with the space to sign Grimes, but who knows what kind of player he'll be this season, and what type of interest he'll get on the open market.
Detroit's decision to throw Grimes in the THJ deal might not have made the most sense at the time, but now, it looks better.