Quentin Grimes is expected to leave the Sixers in free agency after a season that began with a trade-deadline breakout and ended with an unsettled next step—one he now appears to have chosen through his qualifying offer and a summer without a deal.
Quentin Grimes walked into Philadelphia with momentum, then watched the floor shift under him as the Sixers’ plans sharpened—until the end point became clear: he will not return to the team in free agency.
Grimes. 26. was acquired by the Sixers at the trade deadline in 2025 and immediately broke out. expanding his track record with dynamic three-level scoring. He has been known for his defense and three-point shooting. and he entered restricted free agency with what the report described as significantly higher upside.
But the business side moved faster than the market. Grimes spent an entire summer without a deal before accepting his one-year, $8.7 million qualifying offer and changing representation. That sequence—no agreement during the summer, then a qualifying deal—sets the stage for where things go next.
The writing has been on the wall for a while, the report notes. It points to the Sixers’ signing of Dean Wade to a four-year contract that occupies the majority of their non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, a move that also functions as a signal to how the roster is being shaped.
In Philadelphia, Grimes’ path wasn’t steady. He logged 93 regular-season appearances with the Sixers. His role diminished after rookie VJ Edgecombe earned the starting spot Grimes was once favored to hold. When the season came around as a reserve in 2025-26, it was described as up-and-down.
Taken together. the picture is straightforward: Grimes had a breakout after the trade. his upside grew heading into restricted free agency. yet the deal never materialized through the summer. At the same time. the Sixers moved on in a visible way—first with Edgecombe taking the starting spot and then with Dean Wade absorbing most of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
At this juncture, a split made sense for both sides. Grimes is set to depart in free agency, and the Sixers appear ready to move forward with the roster they’re building around their next priorities.
Quentin Grimes Sixers Philadelphia 76ers free agency restricted free agency qualifying offer Dean Wade VJ Edgecombe 2025 trade deadline three-point shooting defense
So he just… chose not to come back? Wild.
I don’t get it, they traded for him and then acted like he was replaceable. Like okay, Edgecombe starts now… but defense and 3s still matter? Maybe the Sixers cheaped out again.
Isn’t a qualifying offer like the team forcing him to stay? Or is it the opposite where he gets to leave anyway. The article says “no deal all summer” and then he accepts the offer, so I’m confused how that means he’s gone. Also Dean Wade signing?? Doesn’t that mean Grimes gets less minutes? I guess.
Sixers really signed Dean Wade and that somehow “sends a signal” lol. Meanwhile Grimes goes from trade-deadline breakout to role shrinking because VJ Edgecombe takes the starting spot… sounds like the plan was never about him. Also the money part is confusing, like $8.7 mil qualifying offer isn’t that decent? But maybe he wanted more and the market was dead. Either way, Philadelphia gonna Philadelphia.