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Tag: Quentin Grimes

  • Instant observations: Joel Embiid returns to action as Sixers stage dress rehearsal in preseason finale

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    PHILADELPHIA — Never has an exhibition carried more weight in the Sixers universe than Friday night’s preseason finale, a home contest against a Minnesota Timberwolves team sitting just about every key player.

    For the first time since Feb. 22, Joel Embiid has played in an NBA contest. While Minnesota was not suiting up many rotation players, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse led his team into a dress rehearsal, with a previously stated goal of having “main guys playing as long and as much together as we can.” Embiid was part of that, as were Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe. Paul George, Jared McCain, Trendon Watford and Kyle Lowry were the only players unavailable on Friday.

    Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe started in the backcourt for the Sixers, with Kelly Oubre Jr. filling in the last spot ahead of Embiid and Adem Bona, a massive surprise even after Nurse unveiled that two-big combination and expressed interest in using it last weekend at the Blue X White Scrimmage.

    Everything that stood out from Embiid’s performance, plus a tremendous showing from Edgecome and a batch of other notes regarding Nurse’s rotation in the Sixers’ 126-110 win over Minnesota: 

    Joel Embiid returns to action

    It was hard to do much complaining about Embiid’s first stint on the floor, which lasted just over six minutes. He scored three baskets, was noticeably active defensively – steals do not necessarily indicate this, but he did also have a pair of early steals – and each time he grabbed a rebound, Embiid was quickly looking to initiate a transition possession with a hit-ahead pass.

    Embiid scored the first basket of the game, and it was thanks to the two-man game he and Maxey have mastered over the years:

    Maxey is not the only player with a chance to develop that sort of rapport with Embiid. McCain is the most obvious candidate, but Grimes has more than enough ball-handling and pull-up shooting chops to be dynamic in those actions. Defenses have to pay close attention to Grimes, and that much was evident the first time he and Embiid flowed into a two-man action. A roaring success here:

    Above all else, it was clear from the outset just how impactful Embiid’s presence is. When 10 eyeballs are always focused on one offensive player, all of their teammates’ lives become a whole lot easier. Everyone experienced it, from Maxey on down. But Embiid also seeks out chances to utilize the leverage he has for his teammates’ collective benefit. He looks bought-in as far as scaling down his scoring workload to conserve his energy and provide some additional energy to his teammates in the form of chances with the ball.

    Embiid’s second stint, the first three minutes of the second quarter, was less inspiring. He did not move nearly as well and struggled to establish positioning against 18-year-old rookie, Joan Beringer. It led to a few Sixers turnovers. Embiid hit the bench, but was set to return for the final three minutes of the half and redeemed himself then.

    Closing the half, Embiid’s movement was much better – specifically going from end to end – and he continued to create scoring chances for his teammates. Embiid totaled seven assists in his 13 minutes prior to intermission to go with nine points, five rebounds and three steals.

    The most interesting aspect of Embiid’s offensive usage in the first half was probably his work as an inbound passer. The Sixers scored off of sideline out-of-bounds passes by Embiid three times prior to intermission; one of those came from Embiid himself, when he threw the ball to Maxey and quickly came off screens for a triple:

    Nurse said before the game that he expected Embiid’s minutes to extend into the second half, and he indeed played the first six minutes or so of the third quarter – but not without a scare. Embiid barreled into the paint and was whistled for a charge. He took a hard fall in traffic, with all sorts of limbs flying in different directions. It was the exact play that has given Sixers fans hundreds of scares during Embiid’s career. 

    After about five seconds on the ground, Embiid shot up and made a point to hustle down to the other end of the floor and show he was fine. He played for another minute or so before his fourth and final stint came to a close, ending his night at just under 20 minutes with 14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three assists to his name.

    No matter how Embiid looked on the floor, the following was going to be true: the absolute most important part of Embiid’s appearance on Friday night will be how he feels when he wakes up Saturday morning. There is little doubt that even a limited version of Embiid can impact winning at the NBA level; where skepticism exists is whether or not Embiid’s knee is strong enough to handle the rigors of NBA action. Last year, it was not.

    Other rotation notes

    While all of the focus was understandably on Embiid, this game also offered plenty of hints into what Nurse’s rotation might look like when the Sixers open their 2025-26 regular season in Boston on Wednesday. Some takeaways:

    • The combination of Embiid and Bona starting was a shock, and it was jarring to see a Sixers team that was forced to play so small last season absolutely tower over Minnesota’s undersized starting five, featuring a tiny point guard, the aforementioned 18-year-old center and three wings in between. Nurse is enthusiastic about the idea of being able to punish opposing teams with force and power; this arrangement gives him the chance to do that.

    • However, Nurse did not start three guards as a result. That forced Grimes, clearly a starting-caliber player, to the bench. Grimes is a better player than Edgecombe right now, but developing Edgecombe figures to be a higher organizational priority. Grimes provides much more ball-handling than Edgecombe, whose ball skills are very much a work in progress. Bringing Grimes off the bench does make it easier to stagger him with Maxey and ensure there is always ball-handling on the floor, but nobody should be surprised if Nurse eventually opts to start the 25-year-old alongside Maxey and Edgecombe. Grimes would be the small forward in that scenario.

    • Bona’s opening stint alongside Embiid only lasted three minutes, and then Nurse gave two-way signee Dominick Barlow a chance to play a more traditional power forward. If Bona does not start on opening night and Nurse keeps Grimes on the bench, Barlow would be the favorite to help Embiid out in the frontcourt. It is a remarkable rise for a player whose training camp has turned a whole lot of heads. It is worth noting that Barlow opened the second half next to Embiid with Bona on the bench.

    • Edgecombe has started in all three of his preseason appearances, and Nurse acknowledged before Friday’s game that it is fair to assume he will keep that spot for Wednesday night’s season opener. He appears willing to embrace the bumps in the road that come with throwing a rookie into the fire. He said a successful season for Edgecombe would be one in which he logs plenty of minutes. “That’s what playing in the league and gaining experience is all about,” Nurse said.

    Interestingly, a ton of the Maxey-plus-Edgecombe minutes early on featured the rookie handling the ball and Maxey being used away from it. Weaponizing Maxey off the ball is a clear priority for Nurse, but Edgecombe is going to have to show major strides as a ball-handler relative to where he was at during his lone collegiate season at Baylor. Edgecombe got a whole lot better as the game went on, and by the fourth quarter the 20-year-old looked like the best player on the floor. It was a tremendous home debut for Edgecombe, whose final line was stellar: 34 minutes, 26 points, six rebounds, three assists and five steals while making 10 of his 18 shots.

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Sixers soundbites: Quentin Grimes says “I wanted to be back here on a longer-term deal, but I’m happy to be here right now”

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    CAMDEN, N.J. – The last time Quentin Grimes addressed this group of reporters, he had just completed his worst two-game stretch within the best two-month period of basketball he had ever played. The day was April 13, and Grimes made only three of his 14 shot attempts after posting a 4-for-17 line in his prior appearance. 

    Grimes was battling shoulder and back injuries, but the Sixers needed him to play in order to reach the minimum eight available bodies. He was at peace, because in the several weeks preceding those games he established himself as a dynamic three-level scorer against NBA defenses.

    After being acquired at the trade deadline from the Dallas Mavericks, Grimes ended up being the lone bright spot in a miserable last two months of the 2024-25 Sixers season. So, on April 13, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey shouted out the soon-to-be restricted free agent, highlighting that the team was positioned well to re-sign Grimes.

    Nearly six months later, Grimes did indeed sign a contract with the Sixers. But instead of inking a multiyear deal to cement a long-term partnership, he accepted the one-year, $8.7 million qualifying offer to ensure he could become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. Three months of slow and unproductive negotiations led to a poor result for all parties involved.

    On Wednesday afternoon, Grimes completed his first practice with the team since it returned from a preseason trip to Abu Dhabi. In this edition of Sixers soundbites, everything Grimes had to say as he returns to Philadelphia:

    • Grimes on how he is feeling after returning to town:

    “I’ve been great. I’ve been great. Got the first couple of practices out of the way, it’s been good seeing all the guys, competing hard the last couple days… I’m happy to be here.”

    • Grimes on what he was able to do physically while unsigned over the summer and what condition he is in now:

    “I went down to [University of Houston]. If y’all know anything about Coach [Kelvin] Sampson, I was in pretty good shape down there working out with the guys and competing down there in some live action. But this was my first time really going up and down five-on-five. But I feel like I’m in great shape. Coach Sampson had me doing some pretty good conditioning down there.”

    • Grimes on the toughest part of his restricted free agency:

    “Probably just the waiting process. This is a business. I know that. It’s the NBA. There’s things you can’t control and stuff like that. Contracts and stuff like that, but I kept up with the guys like Tyrese [Maxey] and Trendon [Watford], [Eric Gordon], Kelly [Oubre Jr.]. We have a pretty close-knit group of guys checking in on me. I wanted to be back, so I’m happy to be here right now, for sure.“

    MORE: Sixers issue injury updates on Joel Embiid, Paul George, Trendon Watford

    • Grimes on if he holds any ill will toward the Sixers after the negotiations were unsuccessful:

    “No, not at all. I’m here to play basketball. I try to control what I can control and that’s how hard I go in the gym, preparation-wise, working out my body, and I leave [contractual matters] up to my agent and the front office. Hopefully, I’ll be able to be back here longer. I wanted to be back here on a longer-term deal, but I’m happy to be here right now and do everything I can to help this team win.“

    • Grimes on how he can replicate his success from the end of last season moving forward:

    “Talking to Coach [Nick] Nurse, talking to assistant coaches that’s letting me know I can come in, play my game, making shots. When I’m open, shoot it, being in attack mode all the time, and just going out there and making the right play. Make winning plays, make the right reads on offense, be whatever they need me to be. Going back to being the two-way guy whenever they need the two-way guy I know I can be. Just keep doing things, stacking days.“

    • Grimes on how he has tried to acclimate to the group since re-signing:

    “We’ve got some new wrinkles on offense and stuff like that. I’m trying to get the terminology down just trying to get more reps in with the guys, learn the plays a little more. I was here for about two months last year, so we’ve got a whole new offense and I came here a little late, so just trying to get the reps in with the guys before practice, after practice, off days. I’ve been here since Saturday so [I’ve worked] Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. So just trying to get as many reps as I can.“

    MORE: Building lineups Sixers head coach Nick Nurse should use in 2025-26

    • Grimes on the Sixers’ group of four talented young guards as he gets ready to share a backcourt with Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe:

    “I feel like we can just push the pace. That’s the name of the game right now: pushing the pace, a lot of shooting, go out there and try to push the pace as much as we can. Getting up and down, putting as much pressure on the defense as we can and we have a lot of guards who can attack the rim, make plays, make the right reads, a lot of shooting. So if we just play for each other, and try to help each other out as much as we can, everything will take care of itself.“

    • Grimes on what he did last season that he believes he can carry into the future: 

    “I think just being dynamic with the ball, catch and shoot, making plays off the dribble. I feel like I showed that stuff a little bit in Dallas. Here, it was kind of magnified a little bit more with the ball consistently in my hands. So just trying to keep up with that all summer, keeping up with my ball-handling, making the right reads off pick-and-roll. So I feel like just as a whole, I can carry that over into the season for sure.“

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdamFollow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Quentin Grimes’ agent sounds off on Sixers: ‘The ball has been in their court all summer long’

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    In a wide-ranging phone interview with PhillyVoice on Thursday evening, David Bauman, the agent for Sixers restricted free agent Quentin Grimes, claimed that Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey and the Sixers have never meaningfully engaged in any sort of talks to retain Grimes on a long-term contract, arguing that the organization is “playing with my client’s career.”

    After joining the Sixers at the trade deadline and blossoming from an off-ball role player into a dynamic three-level scorer, Grimes is still unsigned as of Saturday morning. Retaining the 25-year-old guard has been the Sixers’ clear priority since free agency opened on June 30; the team declined to re-sign Guerschon Yabusele for the taxpayer’s mid-level exception because an ensuing hard cap might have jeopardized its capacity to retain Grimes. For Grimes to remain unsigned as training camp gets set to begin has stunned many after a stellar breakout in the final two months of his fourth NBA season after being traded.

    Among the people surprised by what has transpired — or, perhaps, what has not transpired — is Bauman.

    “This is not Quentin being unreasonable,” Bauman said. “This is the Sixers just not negotiating with us in any way, shape or form.”

    Sixers Media Day came and went on Friday, and a whole lot was said. Sixteen players spoke in all, from former NBA MVP Joel Embiid to Exhibit 10 signee Emoni Bates. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse gave initial clues into what his rotations and schematic choices might be and Morey explained many of the offseason moves he did make. But what was perhaps more noteworthy than any person who spoke or any quote given to reporters in Camden, N.J., was the absence of the player expected to be the Sixers’ starting shooting guard in 2025-26.

    Grimes being separated from the organization is not expected to remain the case for more than another few days because of a looming deadline. But shortly after the Sixers’ nightmarish 24-58 campaign came to a close, Morey volunteered a statement about his excitement to bring Grimes back and incorporate him within a healthier version of the Sixers. One of the Sixers’ lone organizational victories in 2024-25 was trading Caleb Martin and a 2030 second-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Grimes and their own 2025 second-rounder, which ended up being the No. 35 overall pick in June.

    Bauman and Sixers sources have both described a massive gap when it comes to how much money Grimes should be earning in any hypothetical multiyear deal. And the clock is very much ticking ahead of Oct. 1, when Grimes must decide whether or not to accept the one-year qualifying offer worth $8.7 million.

    That deal — which the Sixers had to issue to Grimes in order to make him a restricted free agent and have the right to match any offer sheet he signs with another team — would be considerably less rich than the kind of deal Grimes had hoped to ink in his first foray into NBA free agency. However, it would give him ultimate control: taking the qualifying offer would give Grimes the right to veto any trade for the entire 2025-26 season and the ability to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

    Bauman confirmed to PhillyVoice that he proposed extending the deadline for Grimes to pick up the qualifying offer to Oct. 8, giving the sides another week to find common ground, as The Athletic reported earlier this week. A Sixers source said on Friday that the team will decline that request, which it sees as one-sided.

    Another point of contention: did the Sixers make a four-year, $39 million offer to Grimes on Monday? Bauman first told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Thursday afternoon that the team had presented the offer to Grimes, which the Sixers immediately refuted. At first, a semantics debate ensued about formal offers versus informal offers. A Sixers source claims the team’s numbers-centric discussions with Grimes have only revolved around potential ranges based on different contract lengths and structures. Bauman has continually affirmed to reporters that the $39 million offer was made, while the Sixers have strenuously denied it.

    Sixers sources have grown increasingly adamant over the last two days: not only did the team never make that $39 million offer, but it was never broached in any capacity — formal or informal, direct or indirect. Speaking to PhillyVoice, Bauman gave a detailed account of a conversation he says took place between himself and Morey on Monday. Grimes’ agent maintains that this discussion led to those figures being introduced. In Bauman’s description, Morey told him to implement the exact qualifying offer figure of just over $8.7 million as a starting salary, go out four years with maximum annual raises of eight percent, and to then “do the math.” The math does add up to four years and about $39 million.

    “There’s no other conclusion,” Bauman said, “other than they wanted him to take the qualifying offer.”

    That is not how the Sixers have characterized their outlook of the situation, though they are not discussing the qualifying offer as the sort of worst-case scenario that it is largely perceived as publicly. They still assert that their preferred outcome in all of this is coming to terms with Grimes on a long-term pact, but have not expressed any hope that it is a realistic goal. Bauman places the blame for that on the team.

    “The ball is in their court,” Bauman said. “The ball has been in their court all summer long, and they haven’t attempted in any way to be serious.”

    One Sixers concern is that, with a cap sheet already bloated because of questionable contracts handed to Joel Embiid and Paul George last summer, a multiyear deal with Grimes aging poorly would put the team in too dangerous of a position financially. The Sixers do not seem confident that Grimes would agree to any long-term deal that they consider to be safely cost-effective.

    As of Thursday, Bauman was just as pessimistic about coming to terms on a multiyear contract; as of his discussion with PhillyVoice, he was instead focused on making proposals of alternate one-year “balloon” deals.

    Bauman’s balloon idea: the Sixers paying Grimes more than he would make on the qualifying offer and, in return, Grimes waiving his right to veto a trade. Grimes would recoup some value and remain on course for unrestricted free agency, while the Sixers would ensure they can move Grimes if the right trade offer presents itself. But a source said that, as of this writing, the Sixers have registered very little appetite for such a deal. Both sides of the negotiation have described another massive gap, this one in the case of how much additional money the Sixers should have to give Grimes to buy out his veto power.

    “The only thing we have in front of us is the qualifying offer and a very, very, very small delta to buy out the no-trade clause from them, which we’re not going to do,” Bauman said. “Our counter is a much larger balloon number that still [keeps the Sixers] below the second apron. And we’ll see how it goes. Otherwise, Quentin is coming to terms and coming to peace with the fact that he’ll be back in Philly on a one-year deal at the qualifying offer.”

    The Sixers’ justification for their lack of interest in such a contractual framework: the team insists its intent is not merely to sign Grimes to facilitate an eventual trade. They do not see a reason to pay him significantly more money than he would get on the qualifying offer for the sake of having an easier time dealing him. Right now, the Sixers seem willing to add a very small amount of money to the $8.7 million if Grimes waives his no-trade clause; Bauman confirmed he is looking for a much more substantial bump.

    If Grimes is ultimately traded during the season, his upcoming salary is of the utmost importance to Bauman. A team that trades for Grimes would not inherit the Full Bird rights currently possessed by the Sixers. They would be able to offer Grimes a deal for 2026-27 starting at up to 120 percent of his salary in the 2025-26 season. Grimes’ chances of cashing in with a team that trades for him will be substantially higher if the Sixers provide him with an inflated salary. Even if Grimes approved a trade on the qualifying offer, the team inheriting non-Bird rights on him would have no ability to pay Grimes at the price point he continues to covet unless it has cap space.

    The balloon idea would be a consolation prize at best for Grimes. So, then, what is the ideal outcome on that side of a negotiation which has suddenly turned tense? According to Bauman, a sign-and-trade is atop the list because it could enable Grimes to lock in long-term financial security immediately — assuming a deal came to fruition. But that does not mean it is the only option that would satisfy Grimes.

    “[A sign-and-trade] would be the best. But at the same time, if the Sixers gave him the correct one-year balloon payment, I think that would show at least on a one-year basis, we’re valuing at a high level, and we think you’re going to be important for us,” Bauman said. “We may trade you, but we may not. And if we don’t, we could [sign you with Bird rights] next summer if things work out. But right now, Quentin feels a lot of disrespect coming from Daryl and the Sixers.”

    The Sixers, a source said, are aware that if Grimes returns to the organization in the near future they could have work to do in terms of making him feel valued and appreciated. Talks are already ongoing between high-ranking figures within the organization about how to best go about doing that. But the Sixers fully expect Grimes to rejoin the organization somehow in the coming days.

    Publicly and privately, Sixers officials have been insistent that the team views Grimes as a high-end young player with a chance to be a critical component of very good teams moving forward. “He’s done everything right,” one team official said about the current standoff, emphatically suggesting that no member of the front office, coaching staff or roster holds any ill will toward Grimes.

    In Bauman’s view, the Sixers’ public comments about their desire to keep Grimes are incompatible with their approach to negotiations over the last few months.

    “There’s the statements that are being made,” Bauman said, “and then there’s the reality.”

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • 5 Sixers thoughts: What to make of Clippers scandal; does Cam Thomas taking qualifying offer set the stage for Quentin Grimes?

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    Happy Monday! We are inside of three weeks away from the Sixers beginning their 2025-26 season, a journey which will lead them to Abu Dhabi for two exhibitions in the first week of October before returning home for a few more preseason games and then an 82-game marathon.

    And then, the Sixers hope, will come a lengthy playoff run.

    As always, let’s begin the week with 5 Sixers thoughts, with the NBA’s newest potential scandal serving as the headliner.

    Also inside: Jared McCain providing an injury update, the first of Quentin Grimes’ restricted free agency cohorts to make a decision and more.

    Los Angeles Clippers cap circumvention story through a Sixers lens

    Last week, “Pablo Torre Finds Out” broke a potential scandal that could become a massive, league-altering one in the NBA: a potential case of salary cap circumvention involving superstar Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers. The entire story is fascinating and you can listen to/watch it in full here.

    The natural inclination when observing this story is to think of Joe Smith and the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2000. The league found that the team and Smith were working in tandem to circumvent the cap, as Smith took multiple short-term deals below his market value with the promise of a lucrative long-term deal once the team attained his Full Bird rights. The penalty was massive: Smith’s rights were voided, the team was fined, owner Glen Taylor had to step away from basketball operations for a period and lead executive Kevin McHale was forced to take an unpaid leave of absence. And none of that compared to the five consecutive first-round picks the league office docked from the Timberwolves.

    Cap circumvention is a massive sin in any sport, and the prevailing expectation seems to be that if the NBA can definitively prove that Clippers owner Steve Ballmer directed payments to Leonard off the books, Ballmer and his organization will risk facing massive penalties. Speculation has already begun about how that would look, particularly in terms of draft-related penalties, because the Clippers do not have actual control of any first-round picks until 2030. They have two significant obligations to the Sixers from the James Harden trade:

    2028 2029
    Clippers owe Sixers unprotected first-round pick Clippers owe Sixers first-round pick swap rights (top-three protected)

    To be clear, the NBA would not strip Los Angeles of picks it has already traded and actually penalize other teams for the Clippers’ wrongdoing. If the NBA concluded that there was wrongdoing worth punishing in the form of docking three first-round picks, for example, they would take away picks that the Clippers actually own, even if that means waiting until the next decade.

    If there is any non-Sixers development that would benefit the long-term health of the franchise in the next five years, it would be the Clippers falling into a state of mediocrity or worse. As has been covered here extensively over the last year, there is a world in which the Harden trade of 2023 eventually nets the Sixers two premium draft picks that ease their transition into a post-Joel Embiid world.

    Are there any possible ramifications of Torre’s reporting that could lead to a worse outlook for the Clippers two years from now? Perhaps Leonard’s contract being voided is one, but that would actually gift the Clippers cap space to pursue a more reliable star.

    Ballmer has already flatly denied all accusations of salary cap circumvention, and it would take a mountain of evidence to give the NBA comfort going after the richest owner in the league by far. But if the hammer does come down on the Clippers, the Sixers could be beneficiaries.

    MORE: VJ Edgecombe discusses offseason work, season ahead with PhillyVoice

    Cam Thomas takes the qualifying offer. Will Quentin Grimes follow suit?

    Grimes’ restricted free agency is still ongoing, more than two months after he officially reached the open market for the first time in his NBA career. The same is true for two of the other three high-profile restricted free agents, as Chicago’s Josh Giddey and Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga remain without new deals. But Cam Thomas, always seen as the most likely of the foursome to take the qualifying offer, did just that last week. He has returned to the Brooklyn Nets on a one-year deal worth just under $6 million that comes with a no-trade clause and pathway to unrestricted free agency as a 24-year-old next summer.

    Thomas taking the qualifying offer was not shocking. In addition to being in a brutal, barren salary cap environment this summer with only one significant cap space player (Brooklyn), Thomas has perhaps the largest disconnect with the marketplace in terms of his optimal role on an NBA team. Thomas’ own team having all of the financial flexibility in the world and still declining to make him any long-term offer speaks volumes.

    With an Oct. 1 deadline to accept the qualifying offer, the clock is beginning to tick on Grimes, Giddey and Kuminga if they want to go with the nuclear option. For Grimes in particular, the qualifying offer feels like a lose-lose scenario. There is some theoretical upside for the player and none for the team, but that upside will be tremendously difficult to reach.

    When Grimes emerged as a dynamic three-level scorer in a two-month audition with the Sixers, he was the most important trade deadline acquisition on a team that would be remembered as an abject failure. His blossoming was a much-needed organizational win, and he received every chance to prove he was capable of surpassing expectations.

    But of the four talented young guards expected to suit up for the Sixers next year, Grimes is clearly fourth in terms of long-term importance. If Grimes prevents the Sixers from securing him on a long-term deal or making him a trade asset by taking the qualifying offer, it will be much easier for the Sixers to discard the goal of maximizing his talents in favor of providing Jared McCain and VJ Edgecombe with as much runway as possible.

    Grimes has made about $11 million in four NBA seasons despite spending much of that time as a definitively good player. He has been traded three times; two of those deals came despite Grimes giving his team quality production. Someone so familiar with the situational volatility that comes with being an NBA player should have a strong understanding of the importance of long-term security. Grimes will not get a deal that is commensurate with his ability and room for improvement, but taking the qualifying offer backs him into a corner. He would be a bad break or two away from missing out on the three- or four-year deal every free agent hopes to sign.

    Jared McCain says he is ‘on pace’ for training camp

    It has been nearly nine months since Jared McCain underwent a season-ending meniscus surgery, cutting short an electric rookie campaign at 23 games. McCain was the clear favorite to win Rookie of the Year before the knee injury sidelined him; even without playing after the second week of December his torrid scoring run was the most exciting and encouraging aspect of the 2024-25 Sixers season. McCain, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, proved that he has legitimate star upside. His brilliant shooting touch was as advertised and he showed considerably better on-ball scoring chops than anyone would have guessed as an NBA rookie.

    McCain accompanied the Sixers for Summer League in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas and worked out with the team in a limited capacity, but did not play in games. At an event for the renaming of the Sixers’ arena – the Wells Fargo Center is now officially the Xfinity Mobile Arena, by the way – McCain spoke to the media and reportedly indicated he is optimistic about being fully prepared for training camp in just a matter of weeks.

    “Right now, I’m on pace,” McCain said, according to the Associated Press.

    The Sixers have no reason to rush McCain back, but this far removed from his surgery, it is not too challenging to imagine the 21-year-old being a full go. The team’s eventual depth at guard once Grimes’ free agency is resolved has been discussed frequently, but without McCain, this team does not have a viable backup point guard right now. They need McCain to handle the ball when Tyrese Maxey is off the floor.

    MORE: McCain’s case to be a starter

    A Delaware Blue Coats legend departs

    It is hard for any player to accumulate more experience and respect with an NBA G League affiliate than Jared Brownridge has with the Delaware Blue Coats. Dating back to their days as the 87ers, the 6-foot-3 guard has been firing threes in Delaware. Brownridge’s eight-year tenure with the organization has come to an end, as he was part of a trade near the end of August.

    Speaking of the Blue Coats, the Sixers named Vice President of Player Personnel Ariana Andonian as the first-ever female general manager of the Blue Coats on Friday.

    A possible Sixers target goes overseas

    As soon as Guerschon Yabusele departed Philadelphia after one strong year – leaving the Sixers to sign with the rival New York Knicks at the taxpayer’s mid-level exception – how the Sixers attempted to piece together a quality power forward rotation became of interest. One free agent whose fit seemed clear was Trey Lyles, who does and does not check a lot of the same boxes as Yabusele (even if it looks a whole lot different).

    Lyles, a 10-year NBA veteran, does not come with a ton of upside, but his stable skills would have come in handy for a Sixers team that could have even used an innings-eater at the four. Lyles, however, will not be joining the Sixers in the near future, as he has reportedly agreed to a contract with Real Madrid. He will be taking his talents overseas.

    Speaking of Yabusele, the 29-year-old had a dominant EuroBasket performance for Team France last week, posting 36 points against Poland:

    Yabusele and the Knicks will face the Sixers in a pair of preseason games on the aforementioned Abu Dhabi trip. New York’s front office is hoping he can be a critical component new head coach Mike Brown’s bench in their pursuit of a championship.

    MORE: Why Sixers declined to match Yabusele’s offer from Knicks

    Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
    Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice

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    Adam Aaronson

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  • Quentin Grimes’ shooting skid continues: ‘Every shot I shoot probably weighs 100 pounds if I don’t make it’

    Quentin Grimes’ shooting skid continues: ‘Every shot I shoot probably weighs 100 pounds if I don’t make it’

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    MILWAUKEE — Quentin Grimes says he needs more shots — and that he’s not going to be effective if he’s running up and down the floor and only touching the ball once or twice in a half.

    Grimes also said he doesn’t feel like he has any margin for error — that if he misses a shot, he’s going to get pulled from a game.

    “It feels like if I don’t hit the shot, I’m coming out,” he said in the locker room on Tuesday. “So every shot I shoot probably weighs like 100 pounds if I don’t make it, and our defense, it ain’t cutting it, so I know I ain’t going back in.”

    It’s the first time Grimes has spoken publicly since the onset of his shooting skid, which continued its downtrend in his 0-for-1 shooting performance in the Knicks’ loss to the Bucks on Tuesday.

    Grimes’ only shot attempt came in the third quarter, and it was generated on a Julius Randle drive to the rim that collapsed the Bucks’ defense, leaving the three-and-D wing wide-open in the corner.

    The open shot was a bit rushed and came up well short.

    Grimes has now missed 17 of his last 21 shots from downtown for a 19 percent three-point shooting clip over his last seven games. After starting the season as a 40 percent three-point shooter, Grimes’ efficiency has regressed below 35 percent.

    Head coach Tom Thibodeau said he’s not considering a lineup change, even though Grimes’ backup, Donte DiVincenzo, was shooting the lights out before his cold night against the Bucks.

    “I look at how the unit is functioning. And so, I would say tonight, we didn’t play well, and to put it on Quentin is not fair,” said Thibodeau. “I don’t think we really had anyone who played really well. So, we’re capable of a lot better. You win together; you lose together. Just focus on the improvement and getting ready for the next game.”

    Grimes aired his grievances in the locker room postgame, pointing to the Knicks’ offense which functions largely on the shoulders of Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett.

    The third-year guard out of Houston ranks bottom-five among qualifying players in total touches this season. Dead-last on the list is Los Angeles Lakers forward Cam Reddish, who shared a similar frustration with his role during his time on the Knicks.

    “It’s just hard when you go the whole quarter without touching the ball, the whole second quarter without touching the ball, and then you get one shot and you got to make it,” Grimes said on Tuesday. “So it’s tough going out there and just standing in the corner the whole game. Then you got to make the shot when you shoot the ball one or two times per game. It is what it is. We’ll see.”

    Grimes said he doesn’t know how to find a rhythm in the current structure of the team’s offense because it takes shots to find a rhythm, and he hasn’t gotten many shots, let alone touches.

    He shot 39.7 percent from downtown from the beginning of the season through Nov. 16 but has since become a non-threat from behind the arc.

    “I feel like I just gotta get more shots. You can’t get out of a rhythm unless you shoot the ball,” he said. “So I feel like I’m coming in and I know I’m probably only gonna get one or two shots, and it’s gonna be tough because I’ve gotta make ‘em or I know I’m coming out.

    “So it’s tough like that, but you can’t let that dictate your whole game. I feel like I didn’t have to let that dictate my defense. So it’s tough but I know it won’t last forever.”

    Grimes said he had more opportunities to score and shoot last season because both Barrett and Brunson missed games for different reasons.

    “So I had the ball in my hands a little bit more — I knew I wasn’t coming out,” he said. “I knew I was going to be in there and get more shots, play the whole first quarter, the whole third quarter. I knew I had opportunities to get the ball and get my shots up. Now it’s just a matter if the ball come my way, really.”

    Brunson said it’s his job as the leader of the team to get Grimes in rhythm.

    “I think most importantly being a good teammate is the first thing I have to do. Just continue to encourage him, make sure he’s aggressive, keeps his confidence. And every player at some point goes through it,” he said on Tuesday. “I just think for us as teammates, we have to be on his side, tell him things are going to happen, continue to do what you do, do your routine, do all the stuff that helped you get here. Continue with your confidence.”

    Randle, who found Grimes for an open look he missed in the third quarter, agreed with Brunson.

    “Yeah. He has a hard job, a tough role,” he said after the game. “But we’ve gotta do a better job of trying to get him better looks, make him feel more included for sure.”

    Grimes said he’s not looking over his shoulder even though the Knicks signed DiVincenzo to a four-year, $47 million deal over the offseason. DiVincenzo has emerged as an impact player during Grimes’ shooting slump, though Grimes is undoubtedly the Knicks’ best defender.

    “You come in with a mindset that it’s a new game every time I step on the court, so you just try to have a positive mindset every time I step out there,” he said.

    Brunson reiterated it’s on the team to find ways to get Grimes involved. Josh Hart echoed a similar frustration with his role within the offense — that he was not touching the ball and asked to shoot while out of rhythm frequently — but erupted for two straight high-scoring games after sharing his frustrations with reporters.

    “Obviously, we have three players in the lineup who all go left, all do a lot of similar things,” said Brunson. “When it comes to Quentin, he’s had to keep with his confidence. He’s going to be open, he’s going to get to do stuff. He’s going to get the ball, so sometimes when the confidence is low it seems like the end of the world. But as teammates we need to pick him up and make sure he gets back on track.”

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    Kristian Winfield

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  • Knicks rule RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes out vs. Wizards

    Knicks rule RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes out vs. Wizards

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    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two starters are out of the Knicks’ rotation, though one could return any day now.

    RJ Barrett missed his third straight game due to a migraine on Friday, but was in good spirits ahead of tipoff against the Wizards. He was listed as questionable and scratched from the lineup a half-hour before tip but was all smiles when he arrived on-court at the Capital One Arena, and was laughing his way through the locker room ahead of pregame warmups.

    “Looking at him, he looks a lot better,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said ahead of tipoff. “So we’ll see. He was under the weather. Feeling a lot better today.”

    Friday’s matchup against the Wizards, however, was the first leg of a road back-to-back, with the second leg coming in Charlotte against the Hornets on Saturday.

    Barrett could be in play for an injury return for the second game.

    Quentin Grimes, however, was nowhere to be found on Friday.

    Grimes checked himself out of the game and darted straight to the locker room in the fourth quarter after swiping down on Bogdan Bogdanovic’s drive to the rim in Wednesday’s victory over the Hawks.

    Thibodeau called Grimes’ injury a bruised hand after the game, and the team ruled him out with a sprained left wrist on Friday. Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo started in place of Barrett and Grimes.

    “It’s just a sprain, so we’ll see where he is tomorrow,” Thibodeau said. Asked if Grimes is day-to-day and is expected to play for the remaining two games of the Knicks’ road trip, the coach said: “Yeah, so it’s just a bruise really.”

    Thibodeau, however, said he wasn’t sure whether or not Grimes got X-rays done on his hand. Without clarity on scans on his hand, there is no clarity for an injury return timeline.

    Grimes is the Knicks’ best perimeter defender who routinely defends the opposing team’s No. 1 scoring option. He is also shooting a career-best 40% from downtown to start the season.

    “Next guy get in there, get the job done,” he said. “We’ve got a bunch of wings that are more than capable.”

    With Grimes out on Friday, he is also likely to miss Saturday’s matchup against the Hornets.

    The Knicks wrap their five-game road trip on Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

    ***

    Thibodeau chuckled at the idea that the NBA’s new In-Season Tournament  margin of victory format would influence the way he coached blowout games in the fourth quarter.

    “I don’t get stuck in all that,” he said with a smile. “I just want to win. So we’re gonna play the right way. That’s the bottom line.”

    The Knicks lost their first In-Season Tournament game to the Milwaukee Bucks by five. If they lose a second game, it will be difficult to envision them advancing to a further round.

    Thibodeau suggested his team has bigger fish to fry, but thinks the tournament is good for the league.

    “I think the interest is good for the fans,” he said. “I think the important thing for us is to understand each and every game counts the same, and to lock into that, so don’t get caught up in all the other stuff, ‘cause when you do that, that’s usually when you get knocked down.”

    ***

    Wizards coach Wes Unseld Jr. said Julius Randle’s ability to operate the pick-and-roll with both smaller and bigger  players setting screens creates matchup nightmares.

    “He’s a guy, obviously his size and his strength, he has the ability to score on all three levels,” he said ahead of tipoff. “For a power forward to play pick-and-roll the way he does, whether that’s big-big or small-big, it causes some coverage issues at some times, unconventional when smalls are setting for your power forward, but they find that action in the flow [of the offense] and it does cause some issues. You want to minimize the switch and the collateral that causes because it can be very effective in the post.

    “He’s another guy that finds a way to get to the line. The use of shot fakes and step-throughs, initiates contact and gets you lifted, so being able to guard a guy in space, minimize the fouls, but then also know that he can get hot from three. So he can do it at all three levels.”

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    Kristian Winfield

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  • Julius Randle arrives, Knicks survive in Atlanta to defeat Hawks in 116-114 thriller

    Julius Randle arrives, Knicks survive in Atlanta to defeat Hawks in 116-114 thriller

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    ATLANTA — Julius Randle spun on the low block, pump-faked, then jumped into Hawks’s defender Saddiq Bey, warding Bey’s block attempt with one arm and double-pumping the basketball with the other for the off-handed bank shot.

    The whistle blew shortly after for the and-one.

    Randle shrugged his shoulders, as if to shed Bey’s body weight. Then he had some words for a fan sitting court side before stepping to the line and hitting his free throw.

    Two possessions later, Quentin Grimes had a dunk attempt blocked at the rim with less than three seconds left on the shot clock. Randle received the inbounds pass, then immediately rifled a no-look pass to a cutting Isaiah Hartenstein, who finished at the rim for an and-one of his own.

    A night like this has been a long time coming for Randle, who endured one of the worst opening-season stretches imaginable after enduring offseason ankle surgery.

    It’s safe to say Randle is back, and with his All-Star caliber play, so are the Knicks, who defeated the Hawks, 116-114, in front of an electric State Farm Arena crowd on Wednesday.

    The victory wasn’t without its theatrics — Randle and Hawks star Trae Young jawed back and forth and were separated by Isaiah Hartenstein, who shoved Young in the direction of his bench.

    The victory also came with its fair share of anxiety. The Hawks, on tired legs in the second leg of a back-to-back, trailed by as many as 13, and made a ferocious comeback in the fourth quarter, leading by as many as seven on a late-game run after Quentin Grimes checked himself out of the game with an apparent hand injury.

    The Knicks survived, securing their fourth win in their last five games to improve to an above-.500 record of 6-5.

    Randle had help, none from the officials, who awarded the Knicks with just nine free throws to 24 for the Hawks. With no RJ Barrett, who is day-to-day with a migraine, Josh Hart got the start — but Immanuel Quickley played the featured scoring role as the third head of the Knicks’ offensive attack.

    Randle finished with a game-high 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Jalen Brunson added another 24 points and eight assists of his own. Quickley’s shooting — 20 points off the bench on 6-of-11 shooting from the field — swung the game.

    So did Mitchell Robinson’s offensive rebounding.

    Robinson finished with more rebounds (15) than both Hawks centers Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu combined (nine).

    The starting Knicks big man also impacted Hawks guard Dejounte Murray on a driving layup that would have given the Hawks a 109-108 lead with 1:51 to go in the fourth quarter.

    With less than a minute left, Randle missed a turnaround fading shot, but Robinson created an extra possession with Josh Hart the beneficiary of the offensive rebound. Hart gave the ball to Brunson, who drove baseline, then dished a no-look swipe pass to the cutting Randle, who hit a layup to five the Knicks the lead.

    On the ensuing possession, Brunson his Hawks forward Deandre Hunter with an in-and-out dribble then stopped-and-popped at the foul line for a dagger two that gave the Knicks a three-point lead with 18.8 seconds left.

    Hawks fans rose to their feet for what felt like an eternity. Murray finished with just 12 points but made a driving layup that made it a one-point game with 15 seconds left. The Hawks sent Immanuel Quickley to the line, and he made both free throws.

    Then out of the timeout, Hawks shooter Bogdan Bogdanovic — who had a team-high 28 points — up-chucked an ill-advised fading three with 15 seconds left on the clock. It air-balled, all but sealing defeat for the Hawks at home.

    Until DiVincenzo was whistled for a five-second violation while attempting to inbound the ball.

    Up three, the Knicks intentionally fouled Murray, who made the first free throw, then intentionally missed the second before the Hawks were whistled for a lane violation.

    The Knicks now travel to Washington, D.C., for a matchup with the Wizards before traveling to Charlotte for the second leg of a back-to-back against the Hornets.

    It’s clear Randle is back after a slow start to the season. And with him go the Knicks hopes for a deep playoff run.

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    Kristian Winfield

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