The Los Angeles Lakers invested a four-year, $60 million contract in Quentin Grimes. The instant assumption that many made was thus that the 6'4" Grimes would enter the starting lineup and play alongside 6'8" superstar playmaker Luka Doncic and 6'5" shooting guard Austin Reaves.
Grimes' defensive acumen and catch-and-shoot efficiency seem to make him an ideal fit for the role, but a recent rumor suggests he won't be a starter after all.
Despite being perhaps the most active team in free agency this summer, the Lakers don't seem to be done. They're reportedly in the market for depth at center and have made a highly publicized pursuit of unrestricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, Los Angeles is hoping to sign Kuminga at a reasonable price and start him at small forward.
"Sources say that the Lakers would still like to sign Kuminga and make him their starting small forward … provided that the 23-year-old is ultimately willing to accept a contract structure on the Lakers' terms."
The question is: Does that mean Grimes will make $15 million per season to come off the bench as the team's sixth man?
Lakers aim to start Kuminga at the 3—so where does Grimes fit?
Paying $15 million per season for a high-level sixth man isn't necessarily a bad idea, but giving a four-year contract to a player who won't be starting is a questionable move. A full-length deal with a player option implies absolute certainty in regard to how a player will fit with a team.
Grimes, who has yet to play a single minute for the Lakers, was endorsed despite the uncertainty. But was a bench role really what he was endorsed for?
There is admittedly a precedent for such a salary to be given to a sixth man. For instance, Keldon Johnson, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, made $18 million in 2025-26. In saying that, he also played for a team that had three of its best players on rookie-scale contracts: Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and Victor Wembanyama.
Naz Reid was making an average of $13,986,432 per season when he won Sixth Man of the Year in 2023-24, but once again: Franchise player Anthony Edwards was still on his rookie-scale deal.
By comparison, the Lakers owe $169,585,431 to the top seven earners on their roster—and all at least have a player option to return next season.
Is four years, $60 million fair for a sixth man?
With this in mind, it's fair to question if the Lakers paying their sixth man $15 million per season, let alone across four years, is a wise use of their money. Yes, Grimes could flourish in this role, but in a salary-capped league with harsh second apron penalties, every dollar counts.
For optimism's sake, the Lakers could at least take solace in the fact that Malcolm Brogdon won the award while making $22.6 million in 2022-23—even if it was with the rival Boston Celtics.
Clearly, Sixth Man of the Year isn't the only way to measure the success of a signing. It's simply meant to point out how Grimes coming off of the bench on such a steep salary isn't exactly a common event. Brogdon was, after all, traded the following summer—along with Robert Williams III and two first-round draft picks— for a full-time starter in Jrue Holiday.
Perhaps it was simply a misprint and Kuminga would actually start at the 4, but the Lakers potentially having given a four-year, $60 million contract to their new sixth man is at least worth questioning.
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