Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Quentin Grimes made headlines repeatedly for his impressive performances during the regular season. However, since the offseason began, the Sixers free agent sharpshooter has dominated headlines like never before.
Following a trade from the Dallas Mavericks, Grimes’ season saw a seismic shift as he took on a primary scoring role in the absence of nearly every Sixers veteran. Nonetheless, in his assessment of Grimes’ contract talks, one NBA executive questioned why a team would sign Grimes for his reportedly high asking price over a player like Gary Trent Jr., who signed with the Bucks for far less.
The exact worth of Quentin Grimes has been an unanswerable question that has been posed at the Sixers for months. As a result, a large divide has been created among fans, analysts and executives alike. While some feel his impressive second-half numbers deserve a solid pay raise, another, more skeptical portion of the fanbase is much aware of purple patches and won’t be moved by a run that spanned such a small portion of the season.
Both sides have logical rationales behind their viewpoints. His average of 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists with the Sixers are numbers worthy of compensation, at a time when the team is looking to take maximal advantage of the talents available at their disposal, and bounce back from a woeful 2025 season. To top up his mind-blowing numbers, he also shot 46.9% from the floor and 37.3% from deep.
However, considering he was coming off a stint of average displays with the Mavericks, where he had just 12 starts in 47 games, there’s some uncertainty about what to expect from hm in the future. Before his move to Philadelphia, he was averaging 10.2 points, 2.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds. Prior to the 2024/2025 season, Grimes battled a knee injury that kept him off the court for months. Sadly, these conditions are the reasons why the skeptical group feels the team shouldn’t overcommit by breaking the bank for the shooting guard.
That aforementioned NBA executive, in his conversation with The Athletic, voiced his displeasure at Grimes expecting an outrageous amount from the Sixers, luring them into making a financially inappropriate decision.
“The way the cap (environment) is now, why would you spend $20 million on Quentin Grimes when you can get (Bucks guard) Gary Trent (Jr.) for a minimum?” said one executive, who proposed a three-year, $40 million contract for Grimes. “We shouldn’t just sign young players because they’re young. … You’ve got to believe Grimes is gonna develop into your starting backcourt with (Tyrese) Maxey.”
Regarding the valuation of Grimes, the opinions are diverse, but in a report by Tony Jones of The Athletic, his personal expectation was revealed:
“The Sixers have been in contact with Grimes and his camp, although the price may end up being steep. Grimes, 25, is looking for a contract that averages $25 million per season, league sources tell The Athletic. He has emerged as a dynamic scoring guard, and he gives the Sixers a mix of the ability to shoot from the perimeter and get to the basket and put pressure on the rim off the dribble. Last season, Philadelphia had too little of both skill sets on its roster.”
In all of these, Grimes has two options: the first is to take the best possible offer from the Sixers and prove over that time why he is worth more; or he can take a huge bet on himself by signing his $8.7 million qualifying offer, and then, enter unrestricted free agency next year to get the kind of lucrative deal he demands.
