The Los Angeles Lakers signed Quentin Grimes to a four-year, $60 million contract this offseason, and it will finally give him a chance to prove he’s an elite 3-and-D wing. LA will be his fifth different team in the last four years, and Grimes had a restricted free agency standoff with the 76ers last summer. He was asking for $17.5-21 million per year, but ended up taking the qualifying offer of $8.7 million to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The gamble got Grimes a long-term deal and a shot to show what he can do.
The 26-year-old has started just 146 of his 318 career NBA games. He averages 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.0 steal in 31.1 minutes per game as a starter. Grimes is a career 36.6 percent 3-point shooter who has shown defensive potential. The Lakers need him to become their perimeter stopper and guard the opposition’s best scorer. It is a tall task, but the exact one Grimes has been asking for.
Head coach JJ Redick is fond of Grimes and has a plan to maximize his game. The 6’4 guard averaged 29.4 minutes per game last season, but his role was inconsistent in Philly. He hasn't found a home that fully embraces his game. This is Grimes’ chance to start and earn $20-plus million per year in his next contract.
Lakers will give Quentin Grimes the shot he’s been looking for
This is the perfect scenario for Grimes. Luka Doncic has a history of maximizing 3-and-D wings, and the duo was outstanding during their brief stint in Dallas together. They had a 9.1 net rating when Doncic and Grimes shared the floor, which was higher than when Luka was in the game without his new teammate.
Grimes has never played 30 minutes per game and has started more than 37 contests in a season just once in his first five years. It has been a strange start to his NBA career. He has bounced around and struggled to find his place. That changed when he signed with the Lakers.
Grimes wanted a deal in the Dillon Brooks, Alex Caruso, CJ McCollum, Toumani Camara and Josh Hart range, but had to settle for the non-taxpayer mid-level, which is roughly $5 million less per year. The 6’4 guard could become a crucial role player like those veterans. He needs to provide two-way value and completely buy into his role as a 3-and-D marksman.
This feels like the perfect scenario for Grimes. He has relationships with Luka and Redick. Grimes is still motivated to prove he is a starter and elite defender after getting paid. The Sixers left him feeling underappreciated, and four franchises gave up on him in his first five NBA seasons. The purple and gold should be getting the best version as he enters his prime.
The Los Angeles Lakers bet on Quentin Grimes, and the entire league will finally find out his value. The 6’4 guard wants to be paid like an elite 3-and-D wing. Now, he can earn it by flanking Luka Doncic in Los Angeles. All fans can do is stay tuned to see how it all shakes out.
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