Quentin Grimes officially taking the Sixers‘ qualifying offer signified the end of the longest-lasting contract standoff of the offseason. Despite Grimes possessing a coveted skillset in the league as a defender and shooter at the shooting guard position, his breakout end of the season didn’t translate to the offer sheet.
That’s partly due to team president Daryl Morey‘s preferred negotiation strategy and partially due to the financial and roster situation the Sixers find themselves in, according to Keith Pompey for the Inquirer.
Pompey writes that Morey’s philosophy tends to be to let the open market shape his offers, and with such little money available league-wide, there was less incentive to offer a generous deal to the restricted free agent.
Pompey adds that between Paul George and Joel Embiid, the Sixers have two contracts that will be difficult if they try to move them, and with Jared McCain and rookie VJ Edgecombe filling the shooting guard depth chart on cheap deals, adding Grimes on a high-value contract that might need to be moved down the line could prove burdensome.
Grimes averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals over 28 games for the Sixers last season. However, Pompey cites an anonymous executive who said that because that stretch of play came late in the season, when the team was fully tanking, those gaudy numbers were somewhat meaningless.
We have more from the Sixers:
- The Sixers had their opening preseason game in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, and with Embiid, George, Grimes, and Trendon Watford missing, fans were given a glimpse of what the deeper parts of the bench could offer. One particularly bright spot came from their third overall pick, Edgecombe, who finished with 14 points, six rebounds, and three assists. While still a work in progress, the athletic guard showed that at the very least, he’s already ready to be a rotation player, writes Tony Jones for The Athletic. Jones writes that Edgecombe could be a starter on opening night and showed star potential. In a separate piece for the Inquirer, Pompey adds that the backcourt of Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey showed that they could, in time, be one of the league’s best.
- In the same piece, Pompey notes that two-way big man Dominick Barlow has impressed the team over the summer. That impressive play continued against the Knicks, as he posted a stat line of six points, 10 rebounds, and two assists. “Barlow is standing out early on here,” coach Nick Nurse said earlier in the week. “He’s just really on the glass and making some shots and playing extremely hard. He was just involved in a lot of good stuff.” Pompey speculates that Barlow is making a strong argument to be converted into a standard contract.
- Finally, Pompey notes that second-year big man Adem Bona appeared to have taken the lead when it comes to the backup center battle with veteran Andre Drummond. Pompey writes that Bona needs to be better as a rebounder, but his speed and athleticism stand out on a team that is looking to push the pace.