There weren't necessarily a ton of positive takeaways from this past season for the Philadelphia 76ers. The injury report was something the fan base dreaded to look at each time it came out. But all in all, there were some things to look back fondly on. And as time goes on, we're seeing that the Sixers won their trade with the Dallas Mavericks for Quentin Grimes in a big way.
Ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, Philadelphia executed a deal with Dallas that involved them sending Caleb Martin to the Mavericks, while getting back Quentin Grimes and a 2025 second round pick (more favorable of Denver and Philadelphia). No one thought much of the deal at the time, but the Sixers got a real player in Grimes.
If we look at Philadelphia's roster from the 2024-25 season, the team didn't exactly finish the season with the same kind of depth they envisioned themselves having to begin it. Joel Embiid played just 19 games, Paul George played only 41. And Jared McCain, who was the presumptive Rookie of the Year in the NBA, finished his rookie campaign with 23 games played after an incredibly promising start.
Of course, if you watched the 76ers play during the second half of the regular season campaign this past year, you saw a team that didn't look anywhere close to a playoff contender. It was far from the scenario Sixers fans envisioned last October, but probably the biggest positive to come out of this dreadful season was the fact that Grimes blossomed into a true star-level player.
Grimes has been fantastic since joining the 76ers
In 28 games with Philadelphia, Quentin averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He did it while shooting a hair under 47% from the floor and a very respectable 37% from three-point territory. Grimes was a starter in all but three games he played since becoming a Sixer.
When you watch his game tape from his first season in Philadelphia, several things stand out right away. Grimes is very quick, can get to the rim at will, and brings a lot of athleticism and off-ball movement to the table each time he steps on the floor. He's a fantastic shooter and was making things happen for the 76ers offensively for the final two months of the season.
In the half court, Grimes is more than capable of scoring off the catch, and when putting the ball on the floor and creating his own offense. In transition, he's arguably even more dangerous. He's an all-around very impactful offensive player that simply wasn't necessarily in a position to succeed while in Dallas.
Seeing Grimes come into his own in this way was possibly the greatest source of joy for Sixers fans in the months of February, March, and April. If Philadelphia decides to run this roster back, a core of Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Paul George and Quentin Grimes is a very respectable group to run with next year.