The Philadelphia 76ers have a tough question awaiting them this summer when free agency opens. After all, the Quentin Grimes conundrum is once again going to be a highly divisive front, and his recent surge only complicates things for the front office. There is still a lot of time before that point of reckoning, but that actually stands to make the decision more intricate on their part at this rate.
Grimes has basically struggled all season long with the exception of his October to November stretch, but he has caught fire all of a sudden in March. In nine games so far this month, he has turned in 18 points, four rebounds, and 2.7 assists per contest. He has emerged as one of the primary options for the team with so many of their key players out, and outside of his funky three-point shooting, he has been delivering the goods.
The 25-year-old has been so inconsistent this season that a lot of fans were relieved that the front office did not yield to his hefty demands last summer. It also seemed like the writing was on the wall as to his fate in Philly, but now, the front office might have to re-think things anew as to how they plan on attacking the offseason in this regard.
Quentin Grimes has the 76ers headed to a difficult free agency situation
Philadelphia does not have a lot of financial ammo in free agency, but they do have the ability to go over the cap to re-sign Grimes to a team-friendly deal. But with that said, his camp has already signaled that he will be hitting the open market in search of a lucrative pay raise, and the 76ers might not be too amenable to that notion.
However, if Grimes keeps this level of production up, the 76ers brain trust might be cudgeled into seriously considering handing him a modest salary raise. He will certainly get more than what he is currently making with this team given that he is not even in his prime yet and has ample opportunity to reclaim his form from last season.
Of course, Daryl Morey and the 76ers brass do not have selective amnesia. That Grimes has been underwhelming for the most part will still be part of the merit-based reckoning included in the process of deciding his fate with the franchise. But for now, his surge this month stands to shake that viewpoint up, even if only by a tad.