Sooner than later, the Philadelphia 76ers will have to find a firm resolution when it comes to the free agency situation of Quentin Grimes, who is still technically in the open market. While it is a foregone conclusion that he will ink another deal with the franchise, that cannot remain a mere thought on paper. It has to be officially done.
For starters, the team needs to fully see what it has in store on the roster come training camp. If this impasse keeps getting extended, the 76ers coaching staff will have a difficult time projecting minutes and lineups. That is especially the case since Grimes will most definitely bag a big role for the team next season.
Having said that, the 25-year-old should probably expect the status quo from last season to change, potentially in drastic fashion. Moving forward, he will not be asked to do any heavy lifting anymore, The team’s main gunners should all be ready at some point, and Grimes will be much better off being entrenched as an off-ball option.
But beyond his role on the hardwood next season, the 76ers have a pretty obvious way of dealing with him moving forward. And that is sure to benefit the franchise to a considerable degree.
The 76ers have to re-sign Quentin Grimes and trade him later
An unintended consequence of Grimes’ camp insisting on a more lucrative payday is establishing him as a sterling trade target.
At this rate, the most likely fruit of negotiations is Grimes taking a short-term deal to stay with the 76ers, but to fully realize the advantages of that setup, the front office will have to start shopping him to other teams in hopes of eventually moving him via trade.
Had the 76ers not been in a position to draft VJ Edgecombe, things would be very different, but the inarguable fact is that Grimes has become rather dispensable. Between the two of them, Jared McCain, and of course, Tyrese Maxey, the team now has an embarrassment of riches in the backcourt.
”Embarrassment of riches”, in this context, pertains to having too many mouths to feed. Sure, teams the Thunder and the Pacers showed that having too many guards is not a real thing, but those teams had backcourt cogs with varying skill sets. The 76ers, with those four players, have a near-redundancy.
Fortunately, as long as the 76ers showcase him well, they should have zero problems finding a taker for Grimes. He is a good all-around guard who can fill in different roles, and is only entering his prime. For the right price, Philly should welcome the opportunity to cash in on their gem from last season.