How will the Philadelphia 76ers and shooting guard Quentin Grimes resolve their restricted free agent contract negotiations?
It's been a pretty uneven summer for restricted free agents thus far, with mixed results for two of the top four such young prospects.
The Brooklyn Nets and young shooting guard Cam Thomas evidently couldn't come to terms on a new deal, because Thomas grabbed his own $6 million qualifying offer for 2025-26, meaning he'll reach unrestricted free agency next summer, and will likely explore the market.
Philadelphia's lowkey summer — so far
Point guard Josh Giddey and his Chicago Bulls, however, worked out a new four-year, $100 million contract.
Now, only Grimes and Golden State Warriors power forward Jonathan Kuminga remain from among from the top restricted free agents.
According to Jake Fischer of Substack's The Stein Line, outside of some social media breadcrumbs from Grimes, not has changed in this extended standoff between Philadelphia and the young guard.
Restricted free agency updates, roster rumbles and a tale of international intrigue ... all via the latest around-the-league notebook from @JakeLFischer: https://t.co/I2DbVkyrHd pic.twitter.com/LyCdw0ShUs
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 12, 2025
"When it comes to Quentin Grimes, though, there has been no tangible movement to relay when it comes to his ongoing restricted free agency stalemate with the team … despite what appeared to be a glimmer of positivity when Grimes recently published a picture of himself in Sixers red on Instagram," Fischer observed.
The 6-foot-5 Houston product, 25, enjoyed a breakout stretch to the 2024-25 season upon being traded to Philadelphia from the Dallas Mavericks at the deadline.
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In 28 games for Philadelphia (25 starts), Grimes averaged 21.9 points on .469/.373/.752 shooting splits, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per.
Prior to this year, he had never averaged more than 11.3 points a game, an achievement he notched in 2022-23 while still with the New York Knicks. This year, thanks largely to his tantalizing numbers in Philadelphia, he averaged 14.6 points cumulatively.
What do the Sixers want out of their backcourt, ultimately? The team selected young guard V.J. Edgecombe out of Baylor with the third pick in this year's 2025 NBA Draft. Philadelphia will also be welcoming back second-year shooting guard Jared McCain, who appeared to be well on his way to return from surgery. They'll join still-young All-Star Tyrese Maxey and duke it out for minutes and room.
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