Earlier this week, the Philadelphia 76ers and Quentin Grimes ended their stalemate when the guard signed a one-year qualifying offer worth $8.8 million that included a no-trade clause. The move brings Grimes back on board for another season after he broke out down the stretch of the 2024-25 campaign after the season was already lost due to injuries
Grimes and the 76ers did not see eye to eye on a potential new contract throughout much of the offseason, and recently, more light was shed on just how far apart the two sides were at times.
“…the Sixers' first formal proposal of the offseason came on Sept. 24 — nearly three months into free agency — with a four-year, $39 million offer. Days later, Grimes was offered a one-year, $8.8 million deal that gave him $100,000 more than his qualifying offer in order to waive an inherent no-trade clause. Those frameworks were declined, Bauman said, and negotiations never advanced,” reported Shams Charania of ESPN, per SixersWire. “On Wednesday, (Grimes' agent David) Bauman said Grimes' side offered the 76ers a one-year framework at $17 million while waiving the no-trade clause and a two-year deal at $34 million with a player option. Both were rejected by the 76ers, Bauman said.”
Grimes ultimately ended up getting walked down and caving on the one-year, $8.8 deal.
How much can Quentin Grimes contribute?
Not many saw last year's late-season explosion from Quentin Grimes coming, but he is far from the first player to seemingly turn into a completely different version of himself late in the season, when teams are beginning to rest starters or have already mentally checked out.
Grimes was acquired by the 76ers from the Dallas Mavericks at last year's deadline in another less than brilliant move from Nico Harrison. It will be interesting to see how Grimes is implemented alongside Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and VJ Edgecombe, each of whom essentially play the same position.
In any case, the 76ers are slated to kick off their 2025-26 season on October 22 on the road vs the divisional rival Boston Celtics.
