It's now the middle of August, and the Philadelphia 76ers still have not checked off the box of what's been said to be their top offseason priority: signing restricted free agent Quentin Grimes to a contract extension. The matter has come down to a limbo contest between the amount of money Grimes wants in his extension and how much Daryl Morey and the rest of the front office are willing to give.
Now, Philadelphia is playing the long game here simply because they can. Like the rest of the NBA's restricted free agents this offseason, Grimes has very little leverage as the only other NBA franchise that has the cap space to even offer a deal is the Brooklyn Nets.
Quentin Grimes and Sixers Should Both Be Interested in Getting a Deal Done
There's a good chance this dance between Grimes and the Sixers creeps into September and even October, but the 76ers should just get a deal done and move on. Grimes does have the option to sign his $8.7 million qualifying offer if he so chooses, which would be a much worse-case scenario for Philadelphia. If Grimes does elect to sign the qualifying offer, he will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season, giving the Sixers much less leverage than they have right now.
After being traded to Philadelphia at last season's deadline, Grimes put together the best stretch of basketball of his career. In 28 games, the former Kansas Jayhawk and Houston Cougar averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 46.9% shooting from the field and 37.3% shooting from three-point range.
Another factor in these negotiations is how guard-heavy the Sixers are. Jared McCain was well on his way to winning the Rookie of the Year award before going down with a season-ending lateral meniscus tear. Tyrese Maxey has established himself as one of the elite guards in the NBA, and Philly just drafted Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe with the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
With so many mouths to feed in the backcourt next season, it's likely in Grimes' best interests to sign an eight-figure extension now as opposed to waiting until next season, where his productivity potentially could take a hit.
Little has been reported on any serious progress the two sides have made in inking a deal, but let's hope it can get done soon.