Ex-Mavericks standout receives disappointing contract update

Quentin Grimes has not had the market he hoped for after blossoming with the 76ers.

Nov 27, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie (26) and guard Kyrie Irving (11) and guard Quentin Grimes (5) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the New York Knicks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

NBA free agency has mostly come and gone, as it wasn't a very deep free agency class, and there wasn't a lot of money to spend. Most of the bigger news has been trades or buyouts. However, the top restricted free agents are still sitting out there as they try to test the waters, including Jonathan Kuminga and Josh Giddey.

One of those top restricted free agents is Quentin Grimes, who was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Philadelphia 76ers at last year's trade deadline in a disastrous trade for the Mavs. Grimes had a tremendous close to the season with Philly, averaging 21.9 PPG in his 28 games there, including a few 40-point games.

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Apr 13, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes (5) controls the ball against the Chicago Bulls in the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Grimes was hoping to parlay those performances into a bigger contract, but there has been little to no leverage for him with the lack of spending teams had this offseason. His contract extension talks were given an update by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.

"The 76ers guard had a breakout stretch after being acquired from the Mavericks and now he reportedly wants $25 million per season, so therefore he has no offers. Teams that make offers to restricted free agents need salary cap space, meaning teams can’t drive up the market price with no intention of honoring the deal. Grimes is likely to return to Philadelphia and then become an unrestricted free agent next summer."

They're implying that Grimes may have to accept the qualifying offer and use that to get a payday next offseason when more teams will have money to spend. However, the 76ers drafted VJ Edgebcome third overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, who has been dynamite early in the Summer League, and Jared McCain will be coming back from injury. Those are all players who will eat into Grimes' shots and minutes, and potentially, the contract he could get.

This is part of the scenario Dallas was hoping to avoid when they traded him in February, but had they known he could've been playing on a cheaper qualifying offer this upcoming season, they might've kept him around.

READ MORE: Mavericks' Cooper Flagg is a near-lock for Rookie of the Year

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