NBA Insider Weighs in on Sixers' Failed Quentin Grimes Negotiation

Throughout the offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers had one key situation to address. That being Quentin Grimes and his restricted free agency. Now that the months-long saga has come to an end, one insider weighed in on talks falling apart.

Grimes joined the Sixers at last year's deadline, coming over from the Dallas Mavericks in a trade for Caleb Martin. He was seen as a young talent who could provide a complementary skill set as a three-and-D guard. However, he ended up performing better than anyone could have expected.

Upon arriving in Philadelphia, the former first-round pick put together the best stretch of his NBA career. Across 28 appearances for the Sixers, he averaged 21.9 PPG and 4.5 APG on 37.3% shooting from beyond the arc.

Following this impressive stretch, Grimes entered restricted free agency eager to secure himself a lucrative payday.

Sixers Quentin Grime — Apr 1, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes (5) during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

From the start of the offseason, the Sixers made it clear that they wanted to retain Grimes. However, the two sides seemed at odds for months when it came to price. This resulted in things not being resolved until the October 1st deadline, with the young guard settling for the qualifying offer.

OFFICIAL: we have re-signed Quentin Grimes pic.twitter.com/giCmgRbHlM
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 1, 2025

In his latest news dump of intel across the league, Jake Fischer shined a light on just how far apart the two sides were as contract talks went on for the majority of the summer.

"On the flip side: Grimes took his one-year, $8.7 million qualifying offer in Philadelphia because the Sixers did not think he was worth close to the $25 million annual salary range that the Grimes camp was seeking," Fischer wrote. "The sides were so far apart, sources say, that Philadelphia saw little need all summer to make an offer of any kind to Grimes until the week before training camps opened."

Now that things have been settled, Grimes can focus on getting back to work with the Sixers. He decided to distance himself while things worked themselves out, but Fischer reported that he returned to Philadelphia Saturday as the team returned from Abu Dhabi.

Seeing that the qualifying offer is only for one season, the Sixers and Grimes will go through this same song and dance when he hits the open market next summer.

More 76ers On SI

Where Did The Sixers Land in Latest NBA Power Rankings?

VJ Edgecombe Seen as Vital Piece to Sixers' Success

Charles Barkley Still Hopeful Sixers can Emerge as Contenders

Sixers Forward Named Among NBA's Top Under-The-Radar Players

VJ Edgecombe Expected to Develop Despite Sixers' Backcourt Depth