Paul George made his long-awaited 2025-26 regular season debut on Monday, Nov. 17 in a 110-108 victory over the LA Clippers. It was a poetic return for George, as he joined the starting lineup to help the Philadelphia 76ers defeat his former team.
The subtle development from George's return to the rotation, however, may be the most significant: Quentin Grimes played a role that was unaffected by the star's presence.
Grimes has been one of the 76ers' most valuable players during their 8-5 start to the 2025-26 season. With George missing 12 games and Joel Embiid sidelined for seven, Grimes has stepped up to help fill the void as an early Sixth Man of the Year candidate.
That trend continued against the Clippers, when Grimes played 36 minutes—the 10th time in 13 games that he's been on the court for at least 30 and the 12th time he's received at least 28.
In his 36 minutes, Grimes posted 19 points, three assists, two rebounds, two blocks, and a steal on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and a 3-of-6 mark from beyond the arc. He scored nine of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, including seven in the final 3:48 of a two-point win.
With Grimes continuing the trend of being an invaluable contributor to the 76ers' success, Nurse can't be afraid to continue prioritizing his minutes, no matter what happens with George.
Quentin Grimes too valuable for 76ers to cut his minutes for Paul George
The 76ers have quietly found the three-man perimeter lineup of the future with VJ Edgecombe, Grimes, and Tyrese Maxey. According to databallr's WOWY lineup data, the trio has outscored opponents by 20.3 points per 100 possessions and dominated on both ends of the floor.
Philadelphia is producing an offensive rating of 125.3 and a defensive rating of 105.0 during that time, shooting 38.4 percent and holding opponents to 31.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Individually, Grimes has posted averages of 16.8 points, 4.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.5 three-point field goals made in 31.2 minutes per game. He's shooting at a sustainable clip of .476/.400/.828—up only slightly from his 2024-25 marks of .467/.385/.757.
Philadelphia has benefited immensely from his scoring, as it's currently 5-2 when he records at least 15 points and 3-3 when he fails to.
Quentin Grimes represents 76ers' future—financially and otherwise
With Grimes playing at a level that rival executives are likely monitoring, one can't help but acknowledge that he'll be an unrestricted free agent next summer. With top-tier chemistry already developing with two franchise cornerstones, the 76ers are suddenly facing a daunting financial reality.
Re-signing Grimes could cost Philadelphia a significant sum of money in 2026, and allowing him to walk could mean splitting up the perimeter trio that could anchor the franchise's future.
Rather than cutting Grimes' minutes and risking his pursuit of a large role elsewhere, the 76ers should continue to test how significant his upside is. He's still just 25 years of age and is on pace to have made significant statistical progress in consecutive seasons.
Beyond the numbers, Grimes is proving adaptable as he thrives as either a starter or a sixth man depending on what the situation calls for.
George's minutes will inevitably increase as the season progresses and he gets closer to 100 percent. When that happens, however, the 76ers can't be afraid to hold Grimes' minutes steady and put George in the position of having to acclimate to the new trio of the future rather than functioning in the inverse manner.
Grimes may or may not have a future in Philadelphia, but Nurse can't run from how obvious his value to the rotation is in a high-volume role.