Quentin Grimes joins Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum on elite list after 46-point explosion

Quentin Grimes has elevated his game to become one of the best guard scorers in the league since his trade to Philadelphia

Quentin Grimes joins Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum on elite list after 46-point explosion

Quentin Grimes

Nico Harrison has been lambasted a lot by the entire NBA world after trading Luka Doncic away to acquire Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a pick. However, the other trade Harrison did before the deadline was just as hare-brained as this blockbuster deal. The Mavericks GM sent promising youngster Quentin Grimes to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Caleb Martin in yet another lopsided trade.

While Martin has been a contributor for the Mavericks since the move, Quentin Grimes has elevated his game to become one of the best guard scorers in the league. Grimes went from averaging 5.3 points per game for the Pistons in 2023-24, to 10.2 ppg for Dallas this year and now 21.4 ppg with the Philadelphia 76ers in his 17-game tenure in the City of Brotherly Love.

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Grimes’ outing against the Houston Rockets last night signaled his ascent among the NBA’s best young players. His 46-point outburst was his second 40-point game in March, making him one of 4 players to have multiple 40+ point games with 5 or more 3-pointers. The others on this vaunted list are Jayson Tatum, Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards.

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Stephen Curry has been on a tear for the Warriors ever since their acquisition of Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. Tatum, meanwhile, has been showing out for defending champions Boston with the extended absences of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Anthony Edwards has been shouldering the scoring load for the Wolves in Julius Randle’s absence.

Grimes is averaging 26.4 points per game on 53.4% field goal percentage and 37.7% 3-point shooting percentage for the Sixers in the month of March. In addition to his two 40-point games, Grimes has also tallied games with 28, 29, 35 and 30 points for the team this month. His lone low-scoring game came against the Boston Celtics, who held him to 6 points on 2-of-11 shooting from the floor.

Quentin Grimes will be looking for a big-money contract in free agency

The Knicks’ draft pick had always shown his high potential over the past three seasons, but the way he’s taken to a volume-scoring role with the Sixers signals his growth into a viable high-level NBA starting guard. Grimes is also an effective player on the defensive side of the floor, able to slide through 1-3 on switches. Grimes was primarily used as a defensive specialist by Tom Thibodeau, but he has the ability to be a microwave scorer with the very best in the league, as evidenced by his recent run.

Grimes is rumored to be demanding a 4-year contract worth an average annual value close to $30 million. His latest scoring stretch may very well be all the leverage he needs to exact his asking price in free agency this summer. Whether the Sixers are the team to pay his asking price is, however, a question up in the air. The front office went from Tobias Harris‘ overvalued 5-year contract to yet another albatross in the form of Paul George’s max deal.

Guards with scoring range and defensive ability will always be valued highly by contending teams. Grimes can expect to be pursued by the likes of Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Memphis Grizzlies, who all have cap space to accommodate his demands. Grimes could also be pursued via trade by teams low on cap space – Brad Stevens and Rob Pelinka are two GMs who could definitely swing a surprise move in the summer.