Philadelphia 76ers got an inviting tease just recently when Quentin Grimes dropped a huge hint that he will be returning to the team next season, but that may turn out to just be mere grandstanding, according to an NBA insider.
According to Jake Fischer, Grimes and the 76ers front office have not made any tangible progress on a new deal, shutting down the prevalent belief that both camps have at least made strides on terms about a new deal to usher in his return to the squad for the upcoming season, at the very least.
As can be gleaner from this unremarkable update, both parties remain to be at odds about the specific figures. Grimes has been insistent on a lucrative payday, but Philadelphia’s brass has not been willing to hand him such, presumably due to the team’s top-heavy payroll and the fact that his breakout stint came under rather preculiar circumstances.
Nevertheless, this does not bode well for Philly, which badly needs stability in the lineup before the regular season begins.
76ers get ugly news on the Quentin Grimes front ahead of training camp
With training camp just right around the corner, the 76ers are still not done with this offseason, and Grimes is the only reason why. Heck, this ongoing impasse undoubtedly throws a wrench into the team’s plans.
The 25-year-old will have a prominent role next season, and if this standstill spills into training camp or the preseason, the 76ers coaching staff will have a vastly difficult time figuring out rotations and lineup combinations without Grimes in the fold.
For that reason, the front office should douoble their efforts to pull off trades that will allow them to clear up more cap space and extend a bigger offer to Grimes to keep him happy and finally break this tiring situation.
While it would be difficult for the 76ers to clear up huge money off their books given their rather top-heavy payroll, they do have some options to declutter in the form of Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond, who both make modest salaries and are on expiring deals.
Hopefully, the Philadelphia 76ers will be able to resolve this saga with Quentin Grimes as soon as possible. It is never a good thing to enter the season with an incomplete bunch, and the team better not test that well-entrenched fact, lest they kickstart their new campaign on a bad note.