7:03 pm: Grimes has officially re-signed with the Sixers, the team confirmed in a press release.
3:00 pm: Sixers restricted free agent Quentin Grimes has decided to sign his one-year, $8.74MM qualifying offer, agent David Bauman tells ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Wednesday was the deadline for Grimes to make a decision on that qualifying offer. Accepting it ends a three-month standoff between the 25-year-old guard and the team and will put him on track to reach unrestricted free agency during the 2026 offseason. He’ll also have the ability to veto any trade during the 2025/26 season.
Grimes, 25, spent the first three-and-a-half seasons of his NBA career with the Knicks, Pistons, and Mavericks before being dealt from Dallas to Philadelphia in a trade for Caleb Martin at February’s deadline.
Primarily a three-and-D wing to that point, Grimes took on more ball-handling and play-making responsibilities for a banged-up 76ers team missing several of its top scorers and put up big numbers down the stretch. As a Sixer, he averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 33.7 minutes per game across 28 outings (25 starts) while posting a shooting line of .469/.373/.752.
That strong finish for Grimes complicated his contract negotiations with Philadelphia this summer. Based in large part on what the former Houston Cougar showed in the second half of ’24/25, his camp initially sought an annual salary in the range of $30MM before eventually lowering that asking price to $20-25MM per year, according to Charania.
The Sixers, however, wary of their tax/apron situation – and, presumably, of overpaying Grimes based on two months of production for a lottery-bound team – never came close to meeting that asking price. According to ESPN and other outlets, Philadelphia were willing to offer a four-year, $39MM deal or a one-year contract that would’ve paid a little more than his qualifying offer. Both offers would’ve required him to forfeit his implicit no-trade clause.
In his latest report, Charania says the 76ers’ one-year offer was worth just $100K more than the qualifying offer. Grimes’ camp, meanwhile, countered with a one-year, $17MM proposal or a two-year, $34MM deal with a second-year player option, Bauman told Charania. The club turned down both offers.
The 76ers will now retain Grimes’ Bird rights and believe they’ll be in good position next summer to either re-sign him in unrestricted free agency or work out a sign-and-trade deal with another team, Charania writes.
If Grimes agrees to a trade during the season, his new club would only have his Non-Bird rights at the end of the season. Non-Bird rights allow for a raise of up to 20%, so in that scenario Grimes’ team would need to use cap room or another exception to offer him a starting salary exceeding about $10.5MM when he reaches free agency.
The Sixers now have a team salary of $194.8MM, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). That puts them well above the tax line of $187.9MM, but below the first tax apron of $195.9MM.
Grimes was one of four restricted free agents whose stalemates with their respective clubs lasted into mid- or late-September. Grimes and Nets guard Cam Thomas ultimately accepted their qualifying offers, while Bulls guard Josh Giddey and Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga worked out multiyear deals.
Yay!!! it is finally resolved!!!!
I’d rather have this guy instead of Giddy
Why? People are overrating Grimes based on a stretch where he was the only option on an injured and bad team where they went like 4-24 in those games.
I think you’re right that Giddey overall is the better player, but his skill set is awkward if you are trying to build a contender. A 3 and D that’s less skilled is more valuable than a ball dominant guard who isn’t strong on defense and can’t make up for bad shooting from deep with elite drive to the basket skills.
That’s a fair point. If you’re a good team looking to fill a role, Grimes could make more sense.
Definitely agree that Grimes has a much clearer place on a winning and playoff bound team than Giddey
Makes sense for him to take the QO offer. Even if the Sixers were willing to bump up his pay into the low to mid teens, if he proves last year’s second half wasn’t an aberration he can make quite a bit more on the open market after the season. And with the Sixers already banged up he may get another opportunity at a significant role down the stretch. Good time to bet on one’s self as a guy who can be a solid 3nD option.
If Philadelphia can stay healthy, they’re a good team especially with Grimes on it…. next year he wouldn’t have to worry about that. There will be more cap space in 2026 and I hope he gets his bag.
That’s a good one for QG!!!
The only reason you’d give him a balloon payment was if you had a trade target in mind. No one is trading specifically for Grimes, so you’re using him plus picks to acquire someone. Who though? What difference maker is available at 17M or even at 30M if you add Drummond and Oubre.
Miles Bridges? Could have just signed him instead of giving up assets. Is he even worth giving up multiple firsts? Trey Murphy, nice player but why would New Orleans dump him? RJ Barrett? Andrew Wiggins?
So yea I’m not surprised. It’ll be easier to trade him if he agrees to it, at 8.7M. They have to dump 1 of Grimes or Oubre or a Min guy and Drummond to dip under the tax.
194M gotta get to 187M. 100% dumping someone at the deadline with a pick or two.
Depends what you think a difference maker is. Austin Reaves turned down the Lakers extension and is currently about $15m I think. If Philly would rather re-sign him too a larger deal than Grimes, that could be the foundation of a trade. I think Grimes fits better next to Luka than Reaves, and would rather pay him 16 than eventually pay reaves whatever he’s seeking in the high 20s or more
Reeves is more likely than not getting above 25M per year.
Unlike this year, there’s a lot of teams with Cap Space next year, but the actual available players pool is a lot larger. I think at least one or two of the RFAs get an offer sheet or we see an actual S&T.
If Grimes has the opportunity to showcase this season it means McCain hasn’t come back and VJ isn’t playing well enough to carve out sustained PT. And if he proves to be a key piece they have his bird rights, they can pay him closer to what he thinks is his true value.
But as far as this season – I don’t see a trade that the Sixers could have made or even still make with him that puts them over the hump. I don’t think that player is going to be available and they Sixers odds of being healthy enough to warrant pushing chips in at the trade deadline.
The full mle is also going to be over 15m
Sixers are not serious people
You asked who is available at that price for a Grimes trade. This season, Reaves salary comes in that range. As far as a “difference maker” and “putting over the hump”, those are two different things. Lots of difference making players in the league, but only a few teams on the cusp of competing. There is no hump for the 76ers to get over
I’m glad the sixers didn’t budge. I don’t wanna pay for 2 months of a bad team good stats guy. If he plays the same this year give him a bag. But I wanna see it for a full season.