The Philadelphia 76ers may be an idle squad for now, but the newsstands are definitely treating them like a hotspot of news bits. With the 2025 NBA Draft coming in a couple of weeks, the rumor mill is still going pretty hard with its churn job, pumping some more relevance and urgency onto the team before it makes its very important choice.
A slew of options still await the 76ers at this very juncture, but there are already some reliable information forecasting what the team could resort to come June 25 (or even before that). While it will not be an easy call to make, this optionality is a sterling chance for the franchise to add a prospect they can nurture for the future.
Having said that, the 76ers seem headed to a sudden switch-up. Most draft experts and mock drafts have them eventually settling with Rutgers star Ace Bailey with the third overall pick, but recent developments strongly indicate that Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe is actually the prospect favored to land in Philadelphia.
If so, this only means that the 76ers are likewise quietly moving forward with a similarly critical choice.
Rumored draft move signals quiet move the 76ers are going for
If the 76ers follow through with their rumored inclination toward Edgecombe, it could very well mean that the front office will also forego the prospect of re-signing Quentin Grimes in free agency.
Grimes, who turned in a mini-breakout stint late in the season when he came over to Philly from Dallas, will be headed to restricted free agency — one that could prove to be a very lucrative one. Depending on how the market reacts to his very strong play to end the campaign, the 76ers could ultimately even themselves letting him walk away for nothing.
Thus, eyeing Edgecombe appears to be an insurance for that slightly inevitable scenario. After all, the Baylor standout plays the same position as Grimes, and touts more promise as an athletic scorer who could end up having a more well-rounded skill set.
Allowing the Grimes train to go past them would also allow the 76ers to pivot to re-signing Guerschon Yabusele instead. While he may have a more limited ceiling than Grimes, he is more needed given how the roster is constructed. Even now, Philly is still in dire need of size at forward, and the Frenchman provides an ample offering of exactly that.
For now, the stars are aligning for the Philadelphia 76ers not to retain Quentin Grimes. While that may be unpleasant to hear, it is at least assuring that the front office is more than equipped to handle his possible exit.