Quentin Grimes

Sixers Notes: Grimes, Embiid, George, Watford, Edgecombe

September 27th, 2025 at 6:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers guard Quentin Grimes has the support of star center Joel Embiid in his ongoing contract standoff with the team, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Following Saturday’s practice, reporters asked Embiid for his stance on Grimes, who remains away from the team while trying to work out a new deal and isn’t expected to be part of an upcoming trip to Abu Dhabi.

“As players, this is a business. You gotta do what you gotta do as an individual to take care of yourself and your family,” Embiid said. “So just like it happened the last couple of times I’ve been here, it’s the same thing. I don’t blame anybody. I think we’re here with what we have, and I also don’t blame those guys who wanted to take care of themselves. That’s the right play. That’s what I would do if I was in that situation, too.”

Agent David Bauman claimed the Sixers made their first formal offer on Wednesday at $39MM over four years, which is far less than the restricted free agent is seeking. A source familiar with the negotiations told Pompey on Saturday that the reported amount wasn’t an actual offer and the two sides aren’t close to reaching a deal.

Pompey believes Grimes and the Sixers are headed toward a one-year agreement, whether that involves accepting an $8.7MM qualifying offer by Wednesday’s deadline or potentially a higher offer from the team if Grimes is willing to waive a no-trade clause.

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Sixers officials were encouraged by Embiid’s performance Saturday morning in his first workout of training camp, Pompey adds. The former MVP, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April and was limited to 19 games last season, was able to compete with few limitations. “Everything from the start was live. He was in there participating in that stuff,” coach Nick Nurse said. “He didn’t do everything, but he did do quite a bit. He was moving good and playing hard, and he had great spirit out there today.”
According to Pompey, the only players who weren’t able to take part in today’s practice were Paul George and Trendon Watford, who both did individual sessions on the court. George is still recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in July, while Watford is day to day with tightness in his right hamstring.
Veteran center Andre Drummond thinks the Sixers have something special in rookie guard VJ Edgecombe, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). Drummond said Edgecombe peppered him with a lot of questions the first time they met. “The first day I saw VJ, I was instantly impressed,” Drummond said. “My favorite thing about him is his confidence.”

Fischer’s Latest: Grimes, Kuminga, Bamba, Love, Rockets

September 27th, 2025 at 8:50am CST by Rory Maher

Although the Sixers just made their first formal offer to restricted free agent Quentin Grimes earlier this week, they have discussed various contract frameworks with his agent David Bauman several times throughout the offseason, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

As Fischer explains, the 76ers were hesitant to extend a formal offer until recently because they realized there was a significant gap in what they were willing to pay Grimes compared to what he and his representatives were seeking on a new deal.

While Grimes’ camp had some hope of a potential sign-and-trade materializing, that outcome appears unlikely, Fischer writes. The most likely scenario, Fischer continues, is Grimes signing a one-year deal that comes in above his $8.7MM qualifying offer.

Fischer confirms that Bauman asked the Sixers to extend Grimes’ qualifying offer deadline from October 1 to October 8, in part because the team is traveling to Abu Dhabi for a pair of preseason games. But Philadelphia hasn’t shown any interest pushing back the deadline to this point.

Following up on his previous report that the Sixers floated the idea of trading Kelly Oubre Jr. or Andre Drummond — or both — to make a more lucrative contract offer to Grimes, Fischer says Philadelphia’s front office has been “adamant” that it is unwilling to add draft picks to shed either of those salaries.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Warriors and Jonathan Kuminga have not had any talks about potentially moving back his Oct. 1 qualifying offer deadline, sources tell Fischer. Golden State appears unwilling to budge on its latest contract offers, per Fischer, including a three-year, $75MM proposal which contains a team option for 2027/28. Kuminga’s camp has “pushed hard” for a player option instead of a team option, Fischer writes, but hasn’t had any luck so far. Fischer confirms the Kings tried to restart sign-and-trade talks for Kuminga, but the Warriors remain unenthusiastic about taking back Malik Monk, in part because of his $21.5MM player option for ’27/28. The Warriors want to maintain maximum roster flexibility for the 2027 offseason, Fischer explains, when the contracts of Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green expire.
According to Fischer, the Heat showed some interest in Mo Bamba before the former lottery pick signed a training camp deal with the Jazz. Bamba landing with Utah has led to speculation that Kevin Love might be nearing a buyout agreement, but “all signs” currently indicate that Love will begin the season with the Jazz, Fischer writes.
Fischer hears the Rockets aren’t expected to look for immediate backcourt help in the wake of Fred VanVleet‘s torn ACL, preferring instead to see how Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson respond to increased on-ball responsibilities. Houston may explore adding guard depth down the line, Fischer writes, but that likely won’t occur until at least December 15, when many free agent signings become eligible to be moved. According to Fischer, there’s still an expectation that Kevin Durant will eventually sign an extension with the Rockets, but a potential rookie scale deal for Tari Eason appears less certain.

Sixers Notes: George, Embiid, Grimes, Edgecombe

September 26th, 2025 at 6:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Sixers are already starting training camp without prized sophomore Jared McCain, who recently sustained a torn thumb ligament, and it looks like they will also be without star wing Paul George, according to The Athletic’s Tony Jones (subscriber link). George told reporters at Philadelphia’s media day on Friday that he won’t be a full participant in camp.

Jones writes that George is still working his way back from the knee injury that required surgery in June, though he is apparently reaching the final stages of his recovery process. According to George, he has done almost everything except for full-contact gameplay, and the next few weeks will be critical for understanding his timeline.

“I’m feeling stronger and stronger,” George said. “I feel a lot better now than I did at this point last year.”

When it comes to his on-court outlook, George has said that he’s “very comfortable playing at the four spot this year,” according to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (via Twitter).

That willingness to play power forward could be important for a team light on that position in the depth chart. Outside of George, the team only has Trendon Watford and two-way player Jabari Walker to man the four. George notes that the ball-handling and play-making he brings could be very valuable at the power forward position.

We have more from the Sixers:

Joel Embiid is feeling “pretty good” as he works to return from his knee injury, but there is still no specific timeline for his return, as Jeff Borzello for ESPN and Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix write. “Obviously the goal is to play consistently and not be the position that we were last year.” Embiid said. “… I want to play every single game. I’ve been pretty unlucky when it comes to that compared to most NBA players. When you get to the point where I was last year where it was so unpredictable, it sucks. It is mentally draining.” When it comes to managing Embiid’s health, president Daryl Morey said, “The doctors’ advice, what Joel said on listening to his body, which is a big component on how doctors manage injuries — that’s going to be what carries the day this year.”
Despite the public reports of a significant gap in negotiations between the Sixers and restricted free agent Quentin Grimes, Morey said he’s feeling optimistic about the partnership, Borzello writes. “I think we will get to a resolution in the next few days, hopefully,” Morey said. “But we’re excited to bring him back. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do, now and into the future, if we can get things resolved.”
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse indicated that No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe will get a chance to play a role for the team as a rookie, per Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (via Twitter). “I think success for him this year is minutes. How many minutes did he play? Because we need to let him play through the ups and downs,” Nurse said, adding that Edgecombe has been working hard on his shooting since being drafted. With McCain set to miss the beginning of the season, Edgecombe will have a chance to earn some playing time early on. Capitalizing on that opportunity could be an important part of his season’s trajectory.

Latest On Quentin Grimes

September 26th, 2025 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

Sixers restricted free agent Quentin Grimes was “disappointed” not to receive a formal contract offer from the team until this week after he spent nearly three months on the market, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

While a report on Thursday indicated that Philadelphia offered Grimes a four-year, $39MM deal, agent David Bauman explained to Scotto that that concept was “loosely pitched” by the team. That structure would essentially start with Grimes’ $8.74MM qualifying offer and would include 8% annual raises from there.

Bauman, conversely, proposed scenarios in which Grimes’ salary would start in the neighborhood of $17-21MM, with some flexibility for the team in the later years of the deal, per Scotto.

The only formal offer the 76ers have made is a one-year deal that would be worth more than Grimes’ qualifying offer but would require him to waive his implicit no-trade clause, Scotto continues. For Grimes and his camp to accept that offer, the salary would likely have to be above the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM) and approach $19MM, sources tell HoopsHype. However, Philadelphia’s proposal was only “slightly” above the QO amount.

As Scotto points out, a salary in that $14-19MM range would allow the Sixers to remain below the second tax apron and would give Grimes a more favorable starting point if he’s traded during the 2025/26 season. In that scenario, his new team would only have his Non-Bird rights, which allow for an offer worth up to 120% of the player’s previous salary. A 20% raise on a salary between $14-19MM could work for Grimes in 2026, whereas a 20% raise on his $8.74MM qualifying offer likely wouldn’t be sufficient.

At this point, a longer-term contract remains unlikely due to the large gap between the two sides’ proposals, according to Scotto, who confirms that Bauman has asked the 76ers about potentially moving back the October 1 deadline for Grimes to accept his qualifying offer. The two sides could agree to push back that deadline as late as March 1, though presumably Bauman is seeking a shorter-term solution.

If the Sixers don’t offer a more lucrative one-year deal or increase their multiyear offer, Grimes is expected to strongly consider signing the qualifying offer, league sources tell Scotto. If Grimes goes that route and spends the entire 2025/26 season in Philadelphia, the team would still have his Bird rights next summer, so the two sides could attempt to work out a new deal at that point, though the former first-round pick would be unrestricted.

Agent: Sixers Offered Grimes Four-Year, $39MM Contract

September 25th, 2025 at 3:40pm CST by Rory Maher

The Sixers‘ first formal offer for restricted free agent Quentin Grimes, which occurred on Wednesday, was a four-year, $39MM contract, agent David Bauman told Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

According to Mizell, a source familiar with the negotiations “slightly pushed back” on that statement, noting the two sides have had “hours and hours” of contract discussions this offseason while characterizing the team’s offer as tentative rather than firm.

Bauman thinks Grimes should be earning $20-25MM annually on his next deal, which Philadelphia is unwilling to offer, Mizell writes.

Despite the significant gap in Grimes’ perceived long-term value, the Sixers still value the 25-year-old shooting guard, viewing him as a “significant part” of their future, that same source told The Inquirer.

Bauman, who confirmed to Mizell that Grimes won’t attend Friday’s media day or travel with the team for a pair of preseason contests in Abu Dhabi, said Grimes’ absence shouldn’t be viewed as a holdout.

As first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, the most likely outcome appears to either be Grimes accepting his $8.7MM qualifying offer or signing a more lucrative one-year deal while waiving his implied no-trade clause, Mizell writes.

According to Mizell, Bauman has asked the 76ers to extend Grimes’ deadline to accept the QO. The current deadline is next Wednesday, October 1, but a team and player can agree to push it back.

Grimes was acquired from Dallas in a February trade, joining a Sixers team that was decimated by injuries and had difficulty fielding a competitive roster. He averaged a career-best 21.9 PPG in 28 contests with Philadelphia, also posting career-best marks of 5.2 RPG, 4.5 APG and 1.5 SPG in 33.7 MPG.

Quentin Grimes, Sixers Still ‘Very Far Apart’

September 24th, 2025 at 8:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

8:56 pm: Confirming that the Sixers have offered Grimes a one-year contract worth more than his qualifying offer (which would require him to waive his no-trade clause), Tony Jones of The Athletic reports that the Sixers and the RFA wing also have mutual interest in working out a longer-term deal.

While both sides are amenable to the idea of working out a four-year agreement, they’re far apart on what the money in such a contract would look like, Jones adds.

3:01 pm: Restricted free agent Quentin Grimes and the Sixers are still “very far apart on a deal” to resolve their summer-long standoff, Shams Charania of ESPN said in an appearance on NBA Today (Twitter video link).

Agent David Bauman told Charania that today was the first time the team made a “formal, hard offer” since free agency began. Bauman said Grimes won’t attend Philadelphia’s media day on Friday and he doesn’t plan to accompany the team this weekend to Abu Dhabi, where they’ll play two preseason games against the Knicks.

Charania points out that the Sixers have less incentive to offer a lengthy contract to Grimes after landing dynamic shooting guard VJ Edgecombe in the draft. Coupled with uncertainty over the health of stars Joel Embiid and Paul George, Philadelphia may not want to add another expensive deal to its payroll.

Charania suggests that the likely resolution appears to be Grimes either accepting the team’s $8.7MM qualifying offer, or possibly a larger one-year deal where Grimes would waive his no-trade clause. Either way, he would become an unrestricted free agent next summer when more teams will have money to spend.

Grimes was acquired from Dallas in a February trade, joining a team that was decimated by injuries and had difficulty fielding a competitive roster. He immediately became the Sixers’ offensive star, averaging a career-best 21.9 PPG in 28 games while shooting 46.9% from the field and 37.3% from three-point range.

He had hoped those numbers would lead to a lucrative new contract, but he ran into a difficult market for a number of restricted free agents. Josh Giddey reached a new deal with the Bulls, but Cam Thomas accepted his qualifying offer with Brooklyn and Jonathan Kuminga remains in a standoff with Golden State.

Charania also provided an update on Kuminga, saying he’s the only projected member of the Warriors‘ roster who is not attending a mini-camp that Jimmy Butler is holding in San Diego this week.

Kuminga is still locked in a “stalemate” with the team, and Charania said agent Aaron Turner told him on Wednesday that the Warriors’ insistence on a team option “still remains critical” in keeping the two sides from reaching an agreement.

Fischer’s Latest: Kuminga, Bulls, Knicks, Bryant, Sixers, More

September 12th, 2025 at 4:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls are unlikely to emerge as a viable sign-and-trade suitor for Warriors restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga after agreeing to re-sign their own RFA (Josh Giddey), according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). However, Fischer suggests that Chicago is worth keeping an eye on as a future landing spot for Kuminga, given that the Bulls project to have significant cap room beginning in 2026.

The fact that the Bulls and many other teams around the NBA should have cap space available next summer is one reason why Kuminga is “strongly considering” accepting his $8MM qualifying offer, which would allow him to hold an implicit no-trade clause for the coming season and reach unrestricted free agency in 2026, Fischer writes. While Kuminga’s preference would be to negotiate a longer-term deal, the Warriors haven’t yet seemed inclined to budge off their two-year, $45MM offer that includes a second-year team option.

Still, there’s a sense that a resolution on Kuminga might not be far off. Anthony Slater of ESPN said during an NBA Today appearance (YouTube link) that there have been “renewed efforts” this week to bridge the gap between the two sides, while Fischer says people connected to the negotiations believe there could be movement within the next week.

Here’s more from Fischer:

The Knicks weighed the possibility of signing free agent big man Thomas Bryant but ultimately decided to prioritize depth in the backcourt and on the wing, league sources tell Fischer. The team reached non-guaranteed deals this week with Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet, and Garrison Mathews, who will each compete for a roster spot.
Following up on his report about Sixers veterans Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre Jr. being on the trade block, Fischer clarifies that the front office doesn’t appear to be operating with any sort of “clear-cut directive” to move either player. Trading Drummond and/or Oubre without taking back any salary would help create a more favorable cap/tax situation as Philadelphia looks to re-sign restricted free agent Quentin Grimes.
The Kings‘ decision to waive Terence Davis, who had a non-guaranteed contract, likely signals that they don’t expect to need his outgoing salary for matching purposes in a trade before the season, Fischer observes. “The only reason for Sacramento to have kept Davis this long was to have potentially used him in a trade,” one league source told The Stein Line.
Celtics big man Luka Garza had hoped to suit up for Bosnia and Herzegovina at this year’s EuroBasket tournament but has yet to be cleared by FIBA, according to Fischer, who explains that Garza’s appeal will be heard after EuroBasket ends. If he gets clearance, Garza could represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2027 World Cup.

Sixers’ Andre Drummond, Kelly Oubre On Trade Block?

September 8th, 2025 at 1:30pm CST by Rory Maher

During his latest Bleacher Report live stream (YouTube link), NBA insider Jake Fischer said there have been persistent rumblings that the Sixers may be considering a salary-dump deal to give them more financial flexibility to re-sign restricted free agent Quentin Grimes.

“There has been buzz all summer long about the Sixers looking to potentially move one of, if not both, Andre Drummond and/or Kelly Oubre,” Fischer said. “If they are able to find a deal for one of those two guys as we get closer to camp, that would open up some more wiggle room for Philadelphia to be able to pay Grimes a little bit more (money).”

Both Drummond ($5MM) and Oubre ($8.4MM) exercised their player options for 2025/26 and will be unrestricted free agents next offseason.

This isn’t the first time Drummond has been mentioned in trade rumors this summer — Tony Jones of The Athletic reported on June 30 that Philadelphia was trying to move the two-time All-Star center. But we haven’t heard anything else on that front until now.

Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) noted a few days ago that the Sixers could potentially dip below the luxury tax line while re-signing Grimes if they traded both Drummond and Oubre. Gozlan pointed to the Nets — the lone NBA team with cap room remaining — as a potential match.

A source confirmed to Net Income of NetsDaily.com that acquiring Drummond (along with other assets) would be the type of move Brooklyn is looking for.

Oubre is also no stranger to trade rumors and makes logical sense as a player on an expiring contract who could be moved. But we haven’t seen any reports linking him to a specific team.

When our Luke Adams discussed yesterday in a Front Office article what a contract compromise might look like between Grimes and the Sixers, he floated the possibility of a four-year, $65MM deal with a partial guarantee in year four.

For what it’s worth, Grimes recently took to Instagram to post a picture of himself in a Sixers uniform, as Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports relays (via Twitter).

Free Agent Rumors: Kuminga, Horford, Westbrook, Grimes

August 11th, 2025 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

There has been no meaningful movement in any direction on the Jonathan Kuminga front in the past couple weeks, per Anthony Slater of ESPN.

Having returned to his offseason base of Miami after a recent trip to his home country – the Democratic Republic of the Congo – the restricted free agent forward remains underwhelmed by the Warriors‘ two-year, $45MM offer that includes a second-year team option (and a request that he waive his implicit no-trade clause).

With no guaranteed money beyond year one, a trade-friendly salary, and no ability for Kuminga to have any say in a mid-season trade destination, the structure of the proposal is too team-friendly for Kuminga’s liking, Slater explains. Sources tell ESPN that the 22-year-old’s priority has been to find a contract that positions him to be a long-term building block for either the Warriors or another club. A short-term deal that essentially sets him up to be traded runs counter to that goal.

Kuminga’s camp pitched a three-year, $82MM contract that the Warriors turned down, according to Slater, who adds that the forward has told people close to him that the idea of signing his one-year, $8MM qualifying offer and reaching unrestricted free agency in 2026 appeals more to him than accepting Golden State’s one-plus-one proposal.

Here are a few more rumors on some of the top unsigned free agents:

Even though Al Horford has had to wait for resolution on the Kuminga situation and has mulled the idea of retirement, the Warriors seem to be operating as if the 39-year-old big man is a firm part of their plans for 2025/26, Slater writes. The idea would be to slot Horford in as their starting center to help reduce Draymond Green‘s regular season workload, according to Slater, though he notes that Horford’s minutes would have to be carefully managed as well.
League sources consider the Kings to be the most likely landing spot for free agent point guard Russell Westbrook, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports within the same story. Multiple reports earlier this summer indicated that there may not be room in Sacramento’s backcourt for Westbrook unless the team were to trade Malik Monk or Devin Carter, but the former MVP is still being linked to the Kings even with those two guards still on the roster.
The Sixers continue to project confidence that they’ll re-sign restricted free agent guard Quentin Grimes, says Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). While it’s not out of the question that Grimes could accept his $8.7MM qualifying offer, Fischer believes the two sides will work out a more mutually beneficial deal that begins at a higher salary.

Atlantic Notes: Russell, Murray-Boyles, Nets Assets, Grimes

August 10th, 2025 at 3:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

D’Angelo Russell signed with the Mavericks as a free agent but he’s heaping high praise on the Nets organization. He feels his career has been extended by what he learned early in his career with Brooklyn, he told Dwyane Wade in a podcast (hat tip to Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post). In the process, he took a swipe at the Lakers organization.

“The organization of Brooklyn is different,” Russell said. “It’s unlike any other. The performance, team, coach — everything about Brooklyn is different than what you would expect. And I’ve been around the league, where I came from the Lakers, where the structure is not the same.”

Russell played 29 games with the Nets last season. He also spent two seasons with them from 2017-19 after beginning his career with the Lakers.

“I always approached the game to where I was nonchalant, and I felt like I could just wing it. They taught me how to be a professional, how to sleep, how to eat, how to recover,” Russell said.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Collin Murray-Boyles‘ personal trainer believes that the No. 9 pick of this year’s draft could turn into a Draymond Green-style defender with better offensive skills, he told Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports. “He is more of the modern-day Draymond [Green],” trainer Khadijah Sessions said of the Raptors‘ rookie forward. “He is a defender, he can defend all positions, he can pass, he can set his teammates up… He’s going to be a better Draymond. He’s going to shoot better than him. He’s going to be able to score better than him. But it’s going to be over time and I think him playing behind Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram is going to bring a different monster out of him.”
After selecting a handful of players during the first round of this year’s draft, the Nets still have plenty of draft assets remaining, including extra picks and pick swaps. Yet their best asset might be their own first-rounder next year, which they reacquired from Houston, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post (subscription required). There’s plenty of pressure on general manager Sean Marks that a majority of the players he picked this June pan out, as well as using that future draft capital wisely.
Should restricted free agent Quentin Grimes sign his $8.7MM qualifying offer from the Sixers and become unrestricted next summer? Or will the two parties eventually find common ground on a multi-year contract before next season? Rich Hofmann and Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports take a deep dive into that subject in their latest podcast (video link).

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