Quentin Grimes bets on himself and wins with Los Angeles Lakers

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SAN FRANCISCO — Basketball coach Ben Perkins was understanding Quentin Grimes on a July morning in Houston when he immediately stopped passing the ball upon seeing a surprising ESPN alert on his Apple Watch.

“Free agent guard Quentin Grimes has agreed to a four-year, $60 million contract to join the Los Angeles Lakers, with a player option, sources tell ESPN,” the information learn from Shams Charania.

It was the primary time Grimes’ huge free-agent information grew to become public. It was additionally the primary time the brand new Lakers guard acquired a long-term contract in his NBA profession. As the information broke throughout Grimes’ exercise on the Guy V. Lewis Development Facility on the University of Houston, the truth evoked feelings of pleasure.

“I kind of broke down when the news broke with Shams and everything,” Grimes mentioned previous to the Lakers’ preseason contest Tuesday evening. “It lastly paid off, after which I went proper again to the fitness center. People began congratulating me as soon as he tweeted it. Everyone was congratulating you and going loopy.

“I was in the gym with my trainer. We had a quick little moment. He’s been with me since fifth grade. It was a good opportunity, for sure.”

Grimes, 26, has been traded thrice because the Los Angeles Clippers chosen him with the twenty fifth decide within the 2021 NBA draft. He has primarily been a job competitor over 318 video games and 5 NBA seasons with New York, Detroit, Dallas and Philadelphia.

But with the Lakers, Grimes, who’s 6-foot-4 and 210 kilos, is anticipated to earn his first profession full-time beginning function, sharing the backcourt with six-time NBA All-Star Luka Doncic. Grimes can be getting into a brand new period with the Lakers following the departure of NBA all-time main scorer LeBron James. He joins a unit led by Doncic, Austin Reaves and newly acquired middle Walker Kessler.

Grimes has averaged 14 factors, two 3-pointers and two assists per contest as a starter in two preseason video games for the Lakers, who host the Sacramento Kings on Thursday on ESPN2 (10:30 p.m. ET).

“I was excited to get all our [new players],” mentioned Lakers head play-caller JJ Redick, whose relationship with Grimes dates again to 2023. “But just the personal relationship and friendship we’ve had for the last three years, you have a nice foundation and you’re excited to coach a guy like [Grimes].”

Said Grimes: “It was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

Quentin Grimes speaks at Lakers media day on Sept. 28.Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times by way of Getty Images

Grimes’ first free agent deal

Grimes confirmed a glimpse of his potential as a starter by averaging 21.9 factors, 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 28 video games for the Sixers in the course of the 2024-25 year after being dealt midseason from Dallas. He entered that summer time as a restricted free agent; his highest annual wage at that time was $4.2 million.

While Grimes was assured in his contest, he nonetheless felt he hadn’t proved himself after suiting up for his fourth franchise in a brief span.

“You got to have a mindset that you have to try to win everybody over,” Grimes mentioned. “You attempt to present individuals who you might be. I type of bounced round actually fast. But I felt like each time I bought within the fitness center, any day, it’s a must to show your self and show how good you might be.

“Show them something they didn’t know about you. Every time you get on the court, you get a chance to show somebody what they may or may not know about you through your game.”

Charania reported that Grimes and his then illustration desired a contract within the $30 million vary from the Sixers final summer time. Three months into free company, Charania reported the Sixers’ first formal proposal to Grimes arrived Sept. 24, 2025: 4 years, $39 million. Days later, Philadelphia supplied him a one-year, $8.8 million deal — $100,000 greater than his qualifying supply in alternate for eradicating the no-trade clause.

Both affords have been declined.

The Sixers subsequent supplied Grimes a $17 million one-year deal whereas waiving the no-trade clause, and likewise a two-year deal at $34 million with a competitor possibility, in accordance with Charania.

Grimes turned these down as effectively, after which wager on himself by signing an $8.7 million qualifying supply with a no-trade clause to return to the Sixers for yet another yr.

He had no assured cash coming his method after 2026, that means setback or poor display may considerably suppress his future earnings. Meanwhile, the Sixers chosen VJ Edgecombe with the third general decide within the 2025 draft, and the rookie sensation took Grimes’ beginning guard spot.

Through the chance and challenges, Grimes mentioned he saved a optimistic perspective, remained assured and managed solely what he may management.

“It’s a gamble. It’s a risk,” Grimes mentioned. “But typically it’s a must to take some threat. You bought to have perception in your self figuring out that if stuff didn’t go [my] method, that you simply’ll be OK. I felt that I used to be capable of make that call fairly clean.

“You play basketball your whole life, your whole career. And putting that work in all offseason, knowing what I was doing that offseason, I knew once I got in the game it was over. And I made the most of it for sure.”

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Why Grimes signed with the Lakers

Grimes averaged 13.4 factors, 3.6 rebounds and three.3 assists in 29.4 minutes per contest primarily as a reserve final year. He additionally bought by the year wholesome, taking part in in 75 video games. Grimes mentioned the Sixers didn’t make a robust try and re-sign him earlier than finally touchdown two NBA stars in James and Jaylen Brown in the course of the offseason.

While Grimes acquired curiosity from “a couple teams” this offseason, the supply from the Lakers and his connection to Redick, former teammates Doncic and Jarred Vanderbilt, and the franchise he rooted for throughout his youth added to the attraction of coming to Los Angeles.

And by signing with the Lakers long-term, Grimes lastly felt valued, took a sigh of reduction and gained a thirst for extra.

“You get a little bit of validation for your work and your whole career up until this point,” Grimes mentioned. “You know there’s one other [contract] that you simply need to get as effectively. But it undoubtedly added some additional safety on the again finish figuring out that you could simply exit and move. You’re not taking part in for a contract.

“Everybody is trying to get paid at the end of the day. But to have it in the back of your mind, it doesn’t bog you down anymore. You can play free and literally do everything to do to help the team win.”

Quentin Grimes (middle) performed with All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in Dallas in 2024-25.Glenn James/NBAE by way of Getty Images

Re-joining Doncic as a starter within the Lakers backcourt was a giant plus for Grimes, as they have been teammates for 21 video games in Dallas in the course of the 2024-25 year. Redick mentioned Doncic and Grimes “looked good together” once they began within the backcourt of the Lakers’ 127-103 preseason triumph at Sacramento on Monday.

The connection between Doncic and Grimes is also seen because the Lakers star joked with the newcomer throughout his interview.

“Even though we had a quick little stint in Dallas together, we could see that we jelled right away. Got along right away,” Grimes mentioned. “He’s unselfish. He wants to pass. I seized my opportunity when it presented itself.”

Said Redick: “When Luka was off the ground, [Grimes] gave us a pleasant little pop offensively [against Sacramento]. [Grimes] did a great job of [defending] the basketball as effectively. I really feel like Quentin is a pleasant little praise to Luka. He clearly has the expertise of taking part in with Luka prior in Dallas.

“In all our team-building, it was about finding guys who complement Luka and A.R. [Reaves]. And we feel like [Grimes] did that.”

Grimes and Redick’s historical past

Grimes mentioned then-New York Knicks head play-caller Tom Thibodeau advised in 2023 he attain out to Redick, who performed 15 NBA seasons, for profession recommendation. Grimes despatched Redick a direct message on Instagram that summer time in hopes of gaining some taking pictures methods of the commerce.

Redick responded rapidly and invited Grimes to work out with him on the former’s house in Sag Harbor, N.Y., the place he had a visitor home and a fitness center.

Redick gave Grimes his tackle and the placement of the important thing to get into the visitor home. The then-ESPN NBA analyst was {golfing} when Grimes texted him to say he had arrived.

But to Redick’s shock, Grimes wasn’t on the visitor home when he returned house.

“I go on his Instagram, and he’s posted a picture from another house in my neighborhood of the pool, with the hashtag ‘Hamptons Life’ or something like that. So, I tell him, ‘Where the f‑‑‑ are you, dude?’ They had gone into one of my neighbors’ homes and gone into their guest house,” Redick advised Spectrum SportsNet.

Grimes finally found out the place Redick was and had a fruitful time visiting along with his future play-caller and his household for a number of days. Grimes and Redick grew to become shut and remained involved after that go to, which proved useful within the Lakers’ signing this summer time.

Grimes mentioned he had a stronger reference to Redick than another NBA head play-caller.

“Just having him from a friend aspect, just checking in, tapping in with me,” Grimes mentioned. “Checking the video games. Asking how my folks have been doing, how I’m doing. I’m asking how he’s doing, how is his spouse doing, how are the youngsters doing. So, when you’ve gotten that pal facet of it and that actual human facet of it, it makes it simpler to move for a play-caller like that.

“He was the main selling point. I saw the [offensive] freedom he gave guys the last two years. Being a part of that offense will be a great opportunity for me to take my game to the next level and hopefully take my team to the next level as well.”

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Grimes’ household connection to the Lakers

Grimes father, Marshall, was additionally ecstatic his son was becoming a member of the Lakers.

Marshall Grimes was a teammate of eventual Lakers competitor, play-caller and govt Kurt Rambis at Santa Clara University from 1977-79. That led the elder Grimes to change into an enormous Lakers supporter, a fandom he handed all the way down to his son.

Rambis at present works with the franchise as a senior basketball advisor.

“He was a fan of wherever Kurt was, and he played here his whole time,” Quentin Grimes mentioned of his father. “He was happy for sure.”

A yr in the past, Grimes had uncertainty about his NBA future. Now, he has safety till 2030 as a member of the Lakers. In reflection, Grimes believes loads could possibly be realized from his NBA journey.

“Just go at your own beat,” Grimes mentioned. “Go at your personal threat. Don’t fear about what any person else is doing. Don’t fear about any person getting one thing earlier. Don’t fear about evaluating your self to others. Run your personal race. Push your personal pace. Stick to that work.

“You know who you are. If you have delusional belief in yourself, stuff is going to work out for sure.”

Marc J. Spears is the senior NBA author for Andscape. He used to have the ability to dunk on you, however he hasn’t been capable of in years and his knees nonetheless harm.