When the Dallas Mavericks traded away Luka Doncic, the NBA world was shocked, to say the least. Sending a top-five player away, without a trade demand, at only 25 years old, single-handedly made the Dallas Mavericks a major loser at the deadline. However, the Mavericks’ deadline only got worse when they traded Quentin Grimes and Philadelphia’s 2025 second-round pick to the Sixers for forward Caleb Martin and a 2030 second-round pick. Martin has yet to appear for the Mavericks, while Quentin Grimes has made himself into one of the Sixers’ best scorers.
This makes the Mavericks not only the biggest loser at this deadline but could potentially make them the biggest loser of any trade deadline in NBA history.
Grimes started his Sixers career with a 14-point game in a loss to the Detroit Pistons. Since then, Grimes has had two 30-point games and a career-high 44-point game against the Golden State Warriors. Since joining the Sixers, Grimes has appeared in 12 games, averaging 16.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists a night. The fourth-year guard has also been solid on the defensive end, averaging 1.2 steals per night, trailing only Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. since Grimes made his debut with the Sixers.
Grimes is also an elite three-point shooter who fits the Sixers’ short—and long-term goals. Since his Feb. 7 debut, Grimes has been one of the best three-point shooters on the team, shooting 37.0% from beyond the arc in his 12 games.
His volume has also taken off since coming to Philly, as he takes a career-high 6.1 a night. This ranks him first in both takes (73) and makes (27) with the Sixers. While these numbers are certainly being inflated by the sheer number of injuries that the Sixers have faced this season, Grimes’s volume and efficiency are encouraging about his fit come next season with the stars.
While the Mavericks trade deadline will be most remembered for the trade that sent the potential face of the league, Luka Doncic, to the Lakers, general manager Nico Harrison surely regrets the move that sent a 24-year-old 3&D to guard out in exchange for a forward who has yet to play due to injury, especially after the season-ending ACL tear to lead guard Kyrie Irving.
However, the Mavericks’ pain is the Sixers’ gain, as Quentin Grimes has been nothing short of electric with the Philadelphia. Hopefully, Grimes has found a permanent home with the Sixers now that he is on his fourth team in two years. Given that Grimes is a restricted free agent this offseason, should he continue to show his skillset, there is no reason why the Sixers wouldn’t want him back on a long-term contract.
