Of the four notable restricted free agents remaining on the open market, Quentin Grimes’ negotiations with his incumbent Philadelphia 76ers remain the biggest mystery.
The absence of a deal—and concretely reported price point—suggests the two sides are far apart. That could pave the way for a “signs-the-qualifying-offer” situation.
Yet, according to Fischer, the expectation is that a longer-term agreement will get hashed out. That seems right.
The Sixers don’t have the durable infrastructure to mismanage a breakout asset. Grimes, 25, clearly doesn’t have any suitors to leverage against them, and accepting the qualifying offer poses all sorts of risks. Chief among them: Seeing his role severely compromised by a healthier depth chart this coming season that torpedoes his market value next summer.
This dance between player and team is giving off an air of inevitability. Grimes and the Sixers will reach a multi-year agreement, with some team flexibility, that guarantees him a notch above mid-level-exception money.
Prediction: Quentin Grimes re-signs with the Sixers on a four-year, $67 million deal, with a team option in the final season.
