Young 76ers guard could sign qualifying offer from the team

Young 76ers guard could sign qualifying offer from the team originally appeared on The Sporting News

The Philadelphia 76ers could be getting close to bringing back one of their key young pieces from last season, and on a much cheaper deal than initially thought.

Per NBA insider Jake Fischer, there is “some buzz” that suggests Quentin Grimes could sign the $8.7 million qualifying offer from the 76ers. Grimes was initially seeking a deal in the $20-25 million annual range, but it seems as though that won’t come to fruition for now. 

Should Grimes take the qualifying offer, he’ll have an opportunity to play for a long-term lucrative deal as he’ll become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

After struggling to find his way in his first four seasons in the NBA, Grimes had the best season of his career last year. In the time split between the Dallas Mavericks, and 76ers, Grimes averaged 14.6 points per game and shot 38.5 percent from three-point range. Grimes vastly stepped it up a notch upon his arrival in Philadelphia. In 28 games with the 76ers, he averaged 21.9 points per game, making 38 percent of his threes. 

Despite a porous season from the 76ers last year, Grimes served as one of the few bright spots, making it all the more important to bring him back for next season. While the team has been skeptical on giving him the lucrative deal he seeks, bringing him back on a cheap qualifying offer as a sort of “prove it” deal will help give the team time to consider his long-term future with the franchise.