Quentin Grimes flips season of uncertainty into steady role as sixth man and Sixers closer
“The opportunity that coach [Nick Nurse] is giving me provides a lot of freedom out there on the court,” says Grimes, who is playing some of the most inspired basketball of his career.
The 76ers have placed a wager as massive as Joel Embiid, and they have put it on a player whose stock continues to rise.
After failing to sign a lucrative deal this summer as a restricted free agent, Quentin Grimes had no choice but to accept his one-year, $8.7 million qualifying offer to remain a Sixer. And based on his early performances, he could receive a lucrative multiyear contract next summer.
But for the time being, Grimes is making the most of his role as the Sixers’ sixth man and one of their closers.
On Sunday, the 6-foot-5 combo guard was a ballhandling magician, finishing with a career-high 13 assists to go with 22 points in a 129-105 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center.
Trendon Watford repeatedly referred to Grimes’ array of depth passes as “big time” when speaking to the media afterward.
» READ MORE: Sixers takeaways: Kelly Oubre Jr. is the X factor, Tyrese Maxey’s early case for MVP, and more from win over Nets
“Big time. With Q, obviously, we know he can score the ball, shoot the ball at a high level,” Watford said. “But I think today, he made the pass, and it was great. Opened up a lot for us.”
Grimes’ ability to adapt is one of the reasons the Sixers (5-1) are among the NBA’s early-season success stories. They face the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday at the United Center in a surprising Eastern Conference first-place showdown.
The Sixers are coming off a 24-58 season, finishing with the league’s fifth-worst record. Meanwhile, the Bulls (5-1) finished in 10th place in the East before suffering a first-round exit in the Play-In Tournament.
This season, Grimes is off to his best start of his career.
Through six games, the 25-year-old is averaging 18.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and a career-best 5.2 assists while shooting a career-best 45.2% on three-pointers. Even though he’s a reserve, Grimes’ average of 31.8 minutes is fourth on the team behind Tyrese Maxey (42.5), VJ Edgecombe (39.0), and Kelly Oubre Jr. (38.0).
He is also second to Maxey (10.3 points) in fourth-quarter points with 7.0 per game.
“The opportunity that coach [Nick Nurse] is giving me provides a lot of freedom out there on the court,” Grimes said. “The minutes he gave me are starter minutes to come off the bench at this point.”
The Houston native said his role is a “mindset thing.” He’s focused on entering games with the right mindset, doing whatever it takes to help the team win.
“Some days, score; make the right plays for myself and others,” Grimes said. “So just having that freedom and that trust from my coaches and teammates makes it easy to go out there and play my game.”
» READ MORE: Sixers mailbag: Joel Embiid’s defense and limitations, Paul George’s expected role, and more
The jovial way he has interacted with teammates, coaches, and team executives might be surprising to some, given what transpired this summer.
Grimes sought a multiyear contract worth up to $25 million per season. But his agent, David A. Bauman, told The Inquirer on Sept. 24 that the Sixers’ first formal offer came in at four years and $39 million. Bauman reiterated that those were the initial terms on multiple occasions.
However, on Sept. 27, a source familiar with the negotiations refuted the claim that a formal offer had ever been made for that amount, saying that the sides have remained far apart.
Then, on Oct. 1, the deadline to do so, Grimes accepted his qualifying offer to return for this season, clearing the way to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. His deal comes with a full no-trade clause for this season.
Bauman believes his client still commands a salary of up to $25 million annually, similar to the four-year, $100 million restricted free-agent contract that Josh Giddey signed with the Bulls in September. And so far, Grimes’ play has backed up his agent’s belief, raising the possibility that the Sixers could lose him next summer.
But negotiations never turned messy and Grimes enjoys being a Sixer.
“I really like it a lot,” he said. “I’ve known Tyrese since we were in high school [in Texas], Trendon [Watford] since high school. Me and Joel have been getting along since I got here [in February], just learning from him. Kyle [Lowry] has been like a big brother to me.”
» READ MORE: Will VJ Edgecombe reach his full potential while the Sixers figure out what Joel Embiid has left in tank?
He also enjoys being around the Sixers’ young players and cherishes the trust the coaching staff has placed in him. And that’s not all.
“I love the city,” Grimes said. “The city gives. You go out there and play hard, the city is going to show that love back to you. So, walking around the city, they show a lot of love.
“I love the energy, I love the expectation to win. You’ve got to come out there and give it your all. So I love the city of Philadelphia right now, for sure.”