Quentin Grimes is one of the Detroit Pistons' long-lost friends they wish were still around, especially after watching him save the Sixers' season in Game 5. He finished with a playoff career-high 18 points on 4-of-7 shooting from three, and helped hold the Celtics to just 11 points in the fourth quarter.
If only the Pistons hadn't traded him to the Mavericks in the 2024 offseason in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr., who spent one season in Detroit before signing with Denver last summer. You know what? They could use them both right now.
The Pistons' season is hanging in the balance after they fell to 3-1 in their series against the Magic on Monday with a 94-88 loss. If Cade Cunningham can't get going, Detroit has absolutely no shot. The thing is, though, if they had another player or two who could create and shoot the ball, the series would probably go in their favor.
Grimes could've been that guy.
Former Pistons guard Quentin Grimes helps save Sixers' season
He bet on himself this summer by signing his $8.7 million qualifying offer after a big finish to the 2024-25 season in Philadelphia. After a mostly inconsistent regular season, it didn't look like he'd get the kind of contract he wanted in free agency this summer. Well, he's in the process of changing that.
Detroit originally looked smart for letting him go and avoiding his restricted free agency saga. After watching him on Tuesday, knowing the position the Pistons are in, the front office might be wishing they had done otherwise. Of course, there was no way of knowing how things would shake out with THJ, Jaden Ivey, and Malik Beasley, but that doesn't change their level of regret.
Grimes will turn 26 in a few weeks, so he fits their timeline. He'd be a better backout mate for Cade Cunningham than Duncan Robinson, who has been a negative in the playoffs, when they need him most.
Outside of Grimes' scoring, opposing teams couldn't hunt him on defense the same way they do with Robinson. Just ask Jaylen Brown what it was like to have Grimes on him tonight.
Maybe the Pistons will explore signing Grimes this summer when he hits unrestricted free agency. The Sixers should try to keep him, but that doesn't mean that he'll want to return. He could still have a sour taste in his mouth after last offseason's RFA negotations, and he could get a starting job elsewhere. Might that place be Detroit?
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