The Los Angeles Lakers have taken a chance on polarizing wing Quentin Grimes. The former Philadelphia 76ers standout bet on himself by accepting his qualifying offer a season ago, but a shaky postseason ultimately sent him to a fairly quiet period of free agency.
Thankfully, the Lakers had something to offer Grimes that no other team could provide: The knowledge that he played some of his best basketball alongside Luka Doncic.
Doncic and Grimes were briefly teammates as members of the Dallas Mavericks in 2024-25. Unfortunately, they were both traded that season, as Dallas shifted toward a vision that many would still be questioning had they not been blessed by a lottery system that gifted them Cooper Flagg.
Doncic and Grimes will have a chance to rekindle what looked like a promising partnership in 2026-27, however, as Grimes has signed with the Lakers on a four-year, $60 million contract.
Free agent guard Quentin Grimes has agreed to a four-year, $60 million to join the Los Angeles Lakers, with a player option, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/5mcp4pULuD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026
Grimes is a somewhat divisive player, but his chemistry with Doncic proved that he has the tools to excel alongside the Lakers' franchise player.
Luka Doncic and Quentin Grimes are teammates again
The sample size is admittedly small, but Grimes and Doncic shared the court for 228 minutes in 2024-25. During that time, Doncic averaged 1.3 more points, 1.5 more assists, and 1.0 more free throw attempts per 75 possessions with Grimes on the court than without him.
It was a clear display of how Grimes' sharpshooting presence enabled Doncic to flourish with wider driving lanes and the constant threat of a knockdown shooter fielding a pass from him.
More important than the individual quality of play is the fact that the Mavericks outscored opponents by 9.1 points per 100 possessions when Doncic and Grimes were on the court together. Their chemistry permeated both ends of the floor and helped Dallas run an effective system.
In Los Angeles, there's every reason to believe that Grimes can rediscover his form from beyond the arc and reestablish chemistry with Doncic.
Quentin Grimes offers two-way promise and chemistry with Luka
Grimes has shot 38.1 percent or better from beyond the arc in three of his five NBA seasons. That includes the 2024-25 campaign, during which he shot 39.8 percent from three-point range with the Mavericks and 37.3 percent after being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers to land at 38.5 percent overall.
Even in 2025-26, when Grimes shot 33.4 percent from distance as Joel Embiid and Paul George shuffled in and out of the lineup, he still buried 38.3 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes.
In addition to thriving as a catch-and-shoot specialist, Grimes also continues to excel on defense. In 2025-26, he ranked in the 86th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, the 97th percentile in ball screen navigation, and the 92nd percentile in off-ball chaser defense, per Basketball Index.
Having established chemistry with Doncic and a history of thriving as a catch-and-shoot three-point shooter who defends well both on and away from the ball, Grimes is a fantastic signing.
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