The Philadelphia 76ers are holding their ground in restricted free agent Quentin Grimes’ contract standoff, with the guard set to miss both training camp and the team’s preseason games in Abu Dhabi as the stalemate continues.
Sixers Balk at Deadline Extension
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that Grimes’ agent, David Bauman, asked the Sixers to push back his Oct. 1 qualifying offer deadline to Oct. 8, buying more time while the team completes its overseas preseason slate.
“The Sixers, however, have to this point balked at moving the qualifier deadline back,” Fischer wrote in The Stein Line newsletter.
That refusal underscores Philadelphia’s urgency to resolve Grimes’ situation before the regular season. By keeping the Oct. 1 deadline intact, the Sixers have made clear they are unwilling to let negotiations spill further into October.
Sixers’ Multi-Year Offer Not Enough
The Sixers have offered Grimes a four-year, $39 million deal, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Gina Mizell. But Bauman has pushed for a contract closer to the $20–25 million annual range that Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga is targeting in his own negotiations.
“Agent David Bauman told me the Sixers’ formal offer was for four years and $39 million, and he still believes Grimes should command $20–25 annually. So, yeah, far apart. Some sort of one-year deal seems most likely, at the moment,” Mizell wrote on Bluesky.
Fischer added that Philadelphia’s offer only came late in the summer, once the team realized its proposal was far from what Grimes’ camp had been anticipating.
Short-Term Options Loom
With the multi-year talks stalled, Grimes faces two one-year pathways. The Athletic’s Tony Jones reported that he can accept the $8.7 million qualifying offer, which comes with a no-trade clause and sets him up for unrestricted free agency in 2025. The other option is a one-year balloon payment without the no-trade protection.
Neither outcome provides the long-term security Grimes and Bauman are seeking, but both give him the ability to test the market next summer.
McCain Injury Adds Pressure
GettyThe Philadelphia 76ers are already off to a rough start after Jared McCain’s thumb injury.
The Sixers’ urgency to settle the matter grew after second-year guard Jared McCain tore the UCL in his right thumb during preseason workouts. No timeline has been set for his return, though recovery typically ranges from six to eight weeks.
Philadelphia acquired Grimes at last season’s trade deadline, and he averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 28 games on an injury-depleted roster. With McCain sidelined and the backcourt rotation thinner than expected, Grimes’ scoring and playmaking are viewed as critical to the team’s early-season plans.
Restricted Market Limits Grimes’ Leverage
Despite his production, Grimes’ leverage remains minimal. The NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, with its luxury-tax apron restrictions, has made teams hesitant to extend pricey deals to restricted free agents.
“Jonathan Kuminga remains in a very publicized limbo with the Golden State Warriors… None of those players, or Grimes, have received an offer sheet from another team, which their current team would then have the option to match,” Mizell wrote.
Urgency Rising
With negotiations deadlocked, Grimes has already missed training camp and will not suit up for Philadelphia’s highly anticipated preseason games in Abu Dhabi. What should be meant as a global showcase for the Sixers’ revamped roster now risks being overshadowed by a contract standoff that shows no signs of cooling — and a franchise still waiting for one of its key guards to rejoin the fold.
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