The Philadelphia 76ers managed to outperform expectations this season, but for the most part, people are only going to remember the way they flamed out in terrible fashion during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. After getting swept, the front office will have to make some tough calls in the coming offseason. Case in point? Look no further than the free agency dilemma bound to befall the 76ers with regard to Quentin Grimes.
Unfortunately, that divisive status quo seems to have slowly arrived at an ugly conclusion for the impending free agent. Grimes has struggled a lot in the playoffs for the 76ers, and with his tenure at stake, it has gotten more likely that the front office will move on from him this summer. In fact, it would be more unreasonable for the team to hold onto him given how he fared when the lights were bright.
Grimes was essentially the main reason why the 76ers were so handicapped beyond their starting five. While he was the clear-cut sixth man for the team during the regular season, he flat-out failed to live up to his balling as their primary catalyst on the second unit. As such, the coaches had no choice but to keep overexerting their opening group, and it certainly did not pay off once they made it past the first round.
The 76ers have a clear answer to the Quentin Grimes free agency dilemma
Last summer, Philly’s brain trust recognized that they were basically bidding against themselves to retain Grimes’ services. Fortunately, they never yielded to his camp’s lofty demands, sticking to their qualifying offer. However, in truth, what that decision did for them was only to defer making the real verdict on the young guard.
Unless Grimes and his camp realize that his market value has gone down, there is literally no reason for the 76ers to keep holding onto him. The team would be better off pursuing multiple backcourt cogs who would make just as much, if not less, than Grimes combined.
If anything, the 76ers have a more urgent need for size across the board. Getting rid of Grimes will not be a fix in an of itself, but moving away from a rather expensive role player who refuses to remain assertive enough for the role he is handed with is simply a more sound choice than to simply re-sign him to preserve the optics of the situation.
Quentin Grimes had his chances, but the 76ers should be predisposed toward moving on from him. He did not fare well at all when it mattered the most, and the last thing this team needs is someone who is the complete opposite of a 16-game player.
