The Sixers added another guard to their rotation this week by selecting VJ Edgecombe with the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Now that it’s official, it shouldn’t change how they feel about Quentin Grimes.
Sixers fans everywhere have probably had the same conversation about the backcourt for months now, and certainly since the team landed the third overall pick in the May draft lottery.
It was at that moment in which everyone realized that Cooper Flagg would not become a Sixer. Ace Bailey debates then started amongst the fanbase. Positionally, Bailey was really the only prospect at the top of the draft who was a natural fit with the Sixers’ current roster. But was he the right guy to add to a team that has had its fair share of character issues in recent years? More importantly, was he even going to be the best player available at third overall?
It seemed like as the time in between the lottery and the draft wore on, the fanbase collectively started to distance itself from Bailey. V.J. Edgecombe, Tre Johnson and Kon Knueppel all seemed to have varying degrees of support amongst Sixers fans, but I at least was getting the vibe that most people, myself included, just didn’t want to roll the dice on Bailey and would embrace anyone else being the pick.
Here we are and by now we all know Edgecombe was the team’s selection. Perhaps in the time since selecting Edgecombe, you’ve allowed yourself to think higher of him than you did before he was a Sixer. It’s a natural thing for fans to do during drafts as their opinions of certain prospects are going to change depending on which teams those prospects land on. Edgecombe is worth getting excited about as his defensive potential is through the roof and his athleticism is elite. If he can develop as a scorer in halfcourt sets, Philadelphia might have drafted a perennial All-Star.
Naturally, I think many Sixers fans are probably choosing to view the ceiling for Edgecombe as a more likely outcome now that he’s a Sixer. We’ve already seen years of Tyrese Maxey performing at a high level in the NBA and if last season’s small sampling of games is any indication, Jared McCain might have an All-Star ceiling as well. If you’re now thinking, “Well, I like the three recent Sixer draftees at guard enough, I’m OK with Quentin Grimes walking as a restricted free agency now,” I’m here to tell you that’s not the right mindset to enter July with.
Prior to the draft, Mark Stein reported that Grimes is a “priority” for the Sixers. It seems like there are a lot of varying opinions on the valuation of Grimes’ next contract going around the league which makes writing this post somewhat difficult. There’s probably a walkaway point for Daryl Morey and company where a certain team gives Grimes what they deem to be an overpay. At that point, Philly would either take the draft compensation it would get by not matching an offer sheet Grimes signs with another team, or negotiate a sign-and-trade. Both of those options are not bad options for the Sixers who are unlikely to have any picks in next year’s draft or could get a player or two for next year’s roster to avoid losing Grimes for nothing.
However, it’s probably a safe assumption that Grimes is not going to sign a deal worth more than four years anywhere. In that case, provided the money isn’t exorbitant, he should remain a Sixer for a few reasons.
Firstly, since we’re all curious about what Grimes’ contract will be, it’s important to remember that we know for sure that the Sixers have McCain and Edgecombe on rookie contracts. Signing Grimes to a three- or four-year deal allows them an extended look at how Grimes fits in with Edgecombe, McCain and Maxey and by the time Edgecombe and McCain were in line for their first real paydays in the NBA, the contract you may soon sign Grimes to will have expired.
Secondly, as far as 2025-26 is concerned, having Grimes on the roster gives you a guard with four years of NBA service under his belt to start next to Maxey. McCain could be eased in as he returns from a meniscus injury that caused him to miss most of last season. Edgecombe could be used predominantly in games the Sixers were playing with the lead in and focus on honing his defensive skills that appear to be a strength. He could build confidence offensively as the year wore on but wouldn’t need to come right in and average 20 points per game. That would probably allow him to develop offensively and become more fundamentally sound on a more realistic timeline.
Thirdly, a world in which McCain just comes right back and picks up where he left off and Edgecombe’s shot creation and outside shooting advance more quickly than anyone could have imagined is a good world for Sixers fans to live in. Sure, Maxey has undoubtedly earned the right to play 35 minutes a night regardless of who else is on the roster. But, in this scenario, McCain is making everything and Edgecombe is also a Rookie of the Year candidate. Is anyone going to be mad that the Sixers signed Quentin Grimes if this is how it plays out?
Think back to where Philadelphia’s backcourt was at this time one year ago. Morey made bad bet after bad bet when it came to filling out the guard minutes around Maxey. I don’t think anyone enjoyed watching Reggie Jackson, Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon last year but that’s just me. McCain was selected in the middle of the first round last year and given the Sixers were trying to contend, they weren’t going to enter the season expecting a ton out of McCain right away. McCain just happened to supremely overachieve despite missing three quarters of the season. Grimes was in Dallas at the beginning of last season and Edgecombe ironically enough wasn’t that far from Grimes getting ready for his freshman season at Baylor.
So now the Sixers appear to have a surplus of talented guards and we’re supposed to act like this is a problem? Granted, Philadelphia is in a weird position in which it is trying to return to contention next season, but also must be aware that another 50+ win season and top four seed in the East is far from certain. Therefore, keeping at least one eye towards the future is also imperative for Morey, even if Morey himself might not be a part of that future. But any time you’re building for the future, you must disregard your current roster and collect young talent any way you can get it. Grimes is still young enough to where he could be a part of that future.
Could a time come in say 2027 or beyond in which Philadelphia still has all four of Maxey, Grimes, Edgecombe and McCain on its roster and someone needs to be traded? Absolutely. But that would be a good problem to have. Right now, the Sixers are best suited to bring back Grimes if the cost isn’t overly unreasonable and sort out the minutes between the four guards as best they can during next season and go from there. That’s Nick Nurse’s job during the season. But for now, it’s Morey’s job to make sure Nurse has Grimes in the rotation for 2025-26.