Quentin Grimes was sort of an afterthought in Dallas while Jared Butler was toiling away in D.C. on a two-way contract. Now, they could potentially be a part of an intriguing Sixers guard mix for the future.
It’s understandable if you had better things to do when the Sixers hosted the Washington Wizards back on Jan. 8.
Joel Embiid and Paul George were out. Tyrese Maxey’s recent heater hadn’t quite started yet. The Sixers were sitting at 14-20, in the midst of a stretch where they’d lose 10 of 12 games and were taking on a Washington team with the worst record in the NBA.
The Sixers would go on to beat the lowly Wizards, but not before a guard named Jared Butler gave them fits. Butler had a career night, posting 26 points and seven assists in just over 20 minutes of action. He carved up the Sixers’ defense to a point where you had to ask yourself: how can they get a backup point guard like this?
Well, the Sixers didn’t simply get a guard like Butler, they got the genuine article. Clearly, that performance made an impression.
But it wasn’t just one night in Philly that caught the Sixers’ eye. They were interested in him ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft, fresh off him winning the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player in leading Baylor to a national championship. Butler had a medical red flag at the combine which caused him to drop, but the Sixers had considered him in the first round at pick 28 before selecting Tennessee’s Jaden Springer. Butler took a winding NBA path before landing in Philly.
Looking back on the last few seasons, the margins are where Daryl Morey and his front office have done their finest work. That’s especially true when it comes to the guard position.
At this past trade deadline, the Sixers acquired Butler and Quentin Grimes. Both players have already made an impact and are just 24 years old. Maxey, Jared McCain, Grimes and Butler make for an intriguing guard mix, with all of them being under the age of 25. You can also throw Lonnie Walker IV, who will reportedly sign a two-year deal with the Sixers, into that group.
It makes you think — when also factoring in snagging guys like Kelly Oubre, Jr. and Guerschon Yabusele on minimum deals — the Sixers should probably handle most of their business this way.
Take into account how the Sixers acquired these guards and how big a part of the future they will be.
Maxey, 24, and McCain, 20 (21 as of Feb. 20), are the most obvious home runs here. Maxey slipped to the 21st overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and has gone on to become an All-Star and franchise cornerstone. McCain fell to the 16th overall pick and was well on his way to crushing the field for Rookie of the Year before a torn meniscus knocked him out for the season. That’s a starting backcourt for the future with star equity that cost two non-lottery first-round picks. Tip of the cap to the college scouting department.
There could be matchups where a Maxey-McCain backcourt struggles defensively, though Maxey has made considerable strides on that end and there’s plenty of evidence to suggest McCain could be on a similar path. Enter the 6-foot-5 Grimes, who could be an ideal complement to either player. Grimes, 24, has already proven to be a solid 3-and-D player while showing off improved playmaking chops this season. In fact, he’s dished out at least four assists over his last three games with the Sixers. As a starter or sixth man, Grimes figures to be a huge factor for the Sixers. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, with all indications the franchise views him as a long-term piece.
When McCain went down, the Sixers were left with little in terms of ball handling and creation when Maxey wasn’t on the floor. The 38-year-old Kyle Lowry has dealt with a hip issue all season while 34-year-old Reggie Jackson and two-way guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. were ineffective. Fresh blood was needed and it came in the form of Butler. While he’ll need more time to acclimate himself to new offensive schemes and teammates, you can already see the offensive juice he provides. He scored 15 points in 15 minutes against the Raptors and dished out nine assists in 24 minutes against the Nets. He was recently converted to a standard contract with the team also viewing him as a player they’d like to keep long-term.
Walker is sort of the wildcard of this group. He’s bounced around the league a bit and has spent this season playing overseas, but he fits Morey’s desire to get younger and more dynamic. Walker only recently turned 26 and has plenty of highlight-reel dunks on his resume. He’s a pure bucket-getter, something the Sixers could absolutely use. He reportedly has a team option for next season. For now, the Sixers will likely hope he can provide the scoring punch off the bench they’ve been missing since McCain went down.
Bringing back this group of five guards is legitimately a great starting point for next season. If Morey wants to bring back Lowry to be his guard version of Udonis Haslem, great. But Nick Nurse will have young, dynamic guards at his disposal for years to come.
As for what happens with the wings and bigs, well, maybe targeting more guys like Grimes and Butler for those positions will help.