NBA execs torn on value of 76ers' restricted free agent

The Philadelphia 76ers have a big decision to make before the start of next season.

In 2024-25, anything that could go wrong did go wrong for the 76ers. Newly acquired Paul George missed significant time, Joel Embiid couldn’t stay on the floor and even Tyrese Maxey had some injury issues.

Add in standout rookie Jared McCain suffering a season-ending injury early in the year, and last season was a nightmare in Philadelphia. However, things began to look a little brighter as the season concluded.

Along with securing a much better chance of keeping their pick, which landed at No. 3 and resulted in VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes proved to be a great deadline addition. Over the final couple of months after arriving in Philadelphia, Grimes averaged 21.9 points as he was thrust into the biggest role of his career.

Now in restricted free agency, Grimes is still looking for the right deal, which will almost certainly have to come from Philadelphia. In a recent article on The Athletic, Fred Katz polled 16 NBA front office members about what they would be willing to hand Grimes after his late-season outburst.

The results varied dramatically. Eleven folks proposed three-year deals, while one proposed a two-year and four would’ve offered four-year deals. The average yearly salaries ranged from $10 million to $18.75 million, with a four-year, $75 million proposal being the largest in the poll.

If Grimes believes his finish in Philadelphia was no fluke, he might be wise to simply enter unrestricted free agency next year and seek some starting-level money.

However, the 76ers could simply buy into what they saw from Grimes and offer him a generally fair deal for the role they’ll put him in, which likely lies somewhere in the middle of that range. In any case, Grimes’ value is clearly difficult to pinpoint, but his potential might be worth throwing a few extra dollars at.