This upcoming NBA offseason will be another opportunity for Quentin Grimes to land a new contract with the Philadelphia 76ers or somewhere else.
Last summer, Grimes was a part of free agency, but as a restricted player. The Sixers waited for the veteran wing to sign an offer sheet to officially set his market.
Instead, Grimes didn’t land any offers within his desired range. In the end, the veteran accepted the qualifying offer and played on an $8.7 million deal for the season.
Will Quentin Grimes Return To The Sixers?
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty ImagesPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 03: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center on April 03, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Heading into free agency, Grimes’ value will be lower than before.
Last season, Grimes benefited from a depleted Sixers roster. With a lack of star power on the court and expectations low, Grimes personally thrived.
In 28 games, Grimes averaged 21.9 points, 4.5 assists, and 5.2 rebounds.
With a full season in Philadelphia, Grimes appeared in 75 games. The situation caused his production to take a hit. Grimes averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
According to ESPN, the “belief overall” is that Grimes will land something at or below the midlevel exception. An NBA executive predicts that the Sixers will be the team to have Grimes on board next year–but it’s not necessarily for the right reasons.
The 76ers Would Be Wrong For This Approach
Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty ImagesPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 03: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts to a call during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center on April 03, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
“I do think he stays there out of pressure,” a West executive told ESPN. “You have to keep at least one of [Grimes or Oubre], if not both, after that trade. And if they don’t go into the tax, they’re going to get crushed.”
The latter point is very much valid. Joel Embiid begged the 76ers to be willing to go into the tax at the 2026 trade deadline, just for the front office to trade players for picks, and end up with nothing but a ducked tax.
As for the Grimes/Oubre point, that would be the wrong approach for the Sixers.
At this point, the 76ers are already getting crushed for the Jared McCain trade. Each impressive playoff performance from the sophomore sharpshooter leads to hundreds of comments questioning the Sixers’ front office strategy, and it’s deserved.
But the Sixers have already made their big move to right the wrong by firing Daryl Morey. Soon, there will be a new front office leader, which gives the 76ers a chance to wipe the slate clean on that front.
Signing Grimes to save face could just dig a deeper hole. Unless the new front office leader projects a bright future for the 25-year-old, he shouldn’t feel obligated to bring him back.
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