The Philadelphia 76ers strongly decided againts giving in to the lucrative demands of Quentin Grimes last summer when he hit free agency, and so far, that decision has been aging like fine wine. The 25-year-old, after all, seems poised for an inevitable exit from the franchise due to his significant decline compared to last season when he turned heads as a late-season revelation.
Grimes has immensely struggled since December, averaging 10.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists despite logging nearly 29 minutes per outing. He has drained just 41.2 percent of his shots and 32.5 percent of his three-point tries during that span. All of a sudden, his future in Philly has become pretty murky.
As such, it is probably safe to say that the front office’s gambit to sign him to merely their qualifying offer and risk losing him for nothing in this year’s free agency is definitely paying off. There is no clear stoppage to his struggles for now, and the 76ers managed to save themselves from having to pay significant money for someone who has not thrived in a less prominent role.
The 76ers did the right thing exercising restraint with Quentin Grimes in free agency
Grimes and his camp were to confident about his bloated production from last season holding up that they believed the guard was worth $20 to $25 million annually. However, the 76ers easily saw through this bluff and decided to stand their ground. After all, they were essentially bidding against themselves with no other teams legitimately pursuing him in free agency.
This year, Grimes will probably see some pay raise in his next deal, but he is not going to get anything close to the price range he had initially set for himself. The 76ers are likewise not going to be comfortable paying such an amount given his long-winded struggles.
Grimes started the season on a high note, rapidly emerging as the favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year until the end of November. At that juncture, it seemed like the 76ers were basically handcuffed into having to re-sign him in free agency despite the lofty price tag it would entail. Now, that has become a macerated point.
Unless Quentin Grimes turns in a relatively spotless performance for the second half of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers will not feel incentivized to keep him on the roster unless he takes a significant discount. Unfortunately for him, given how he has struggled, other front offices will also think twice about giving him a considerable pay raise. Kudos to Philly’s brain trust for staying the course and allowing him to show his true colors in a more streamlined role.