The Quentin Grimes saga remains unresolved for the Philadelphia 76ers. It is the lone reason why the team is still not finished making moves this offseason, as the restricted free agent remains at an impasse with the front office with respect to a new deal to bring him back next season and beyond.
So far, Grimes’ camp has been steadfast in wanting to extract much more money from the team, but the 76ers have resisted. Daryl Morey and his crew know that there really isn’t any other team that can throw him a lucrative offer sheet that would compel Philly to match and give out an equally handsome deal.
This is not preternatural, though. A handful of prominent players who have hit restricted free agency have likewise adopted a similar stance, although Grimes in particular is a tad different in that he is basically handcuffed into staying with the 76ers, where he projects to be a key player, especially after his breakout stint last season.
As a result, the most likely outcome on this front is becoming obvious, although it will definitely give the 76ers a scenario that is far from ideal.
Quentin Grimes saga will inevitably lead to disaster for the 76ers
Without going into the exactitudes of how much he could earn on his next deal, Grimes will most definitely prefer a short-term deal with the 76ers. Most prognostications on the market has him slated to earn around the $15 to $18 million range, and that is way far from what his representation has in mind.
In that case, Grimes will be singlehandedly tanking his trade value, and the 76ers stand to ultimately lose him for nothing when his deal ends. Philly does not have a clean payroll given the vast amount of money invested in their core players, and with the new CBA scaring teams away from the second tax apron, the 76ers are bound to exercise caution more actively sooner than later.
There is also the basketball aspect of Grimes not really getting the itch to stay with the 76ers beyond his eventual short-term deal. His role next season will certainly be smaller than when he was the nominal alpha for quite a while due to all the injuries and whatnot, and his age vacillates between the win-now group and the future-oriented bloc. That very uncertainty gives not only the front office, but also him, a major degree of hesitance about entrenching him further with the franchise.
It is easy to envision how this ends this summer, but the Philadelphia 76ers will soon realize that they are headed to a nightmarish scenario with Quentin Grimes, at least from an asset management standpoint. It is what it is, and for now, both camps have to make it work and make the most out of this seemingly fated short-term partnership.