After losing in the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics, the Dallas Mavericks promptly began their trade quest to send Tim Hardaway Jr. elsewhere. He had a terrible conclusion to the season and was unplayable for most of the playoffs, so Dallas made it a priority early in the offseason to locate a trade partner for him.
The Mavericks soon traded him to the Detroit Pistons for Quentin Grimes, and both players have had strong performances for their new teams. Hardaway Jr. received a much-needed fresh start following what happened in Dallas, and Grimes was able to join a contender after finishing last season with Detroit.
Grimes is averaging 10.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.6 steals in 34 games, shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from downtown, and he is developing into one of Dallas’ most reliable role players.
Dallas’ failure to sign Grimes to a deal might spell trouble.
His defense, combined with his 3-point shooting, hustle, and ability to be a secondary creator, have all made him someone on whom Jason Kidd relies on a regular basis off the bench, but the Mavericks will be in an interesting position with him after the season ends in terms of his potential future with the team.
Before the season began, Dallas and Grimes, a Texas native, were in talks about a potential extension, but the two were unable to reach a deal. Dallas offered Grimes $9 million a year for three years, but he bet on himself and did not sign the extension. Grimes’ contract will expire at the end of this year, and he will be eligible for restricted free agency after the season. He is only getting about $4.3 million this season, but he is expected to receive a significant raise once free agency begins. This will be Grimes’ first free agency of his career, and his excellent play for a contender like Dallas will most likely help him seek a high salary.
At the time, Dallas’
decision not to prolong. Grimes was not considered as particularly controversial given his injury history, but his performance this season may quickly make the Mavs regret not committing him to a contract deal. There was a risk in not signing him to an extension because Luka Doncic is known for taking role players’ games to the next level, but he hasn’t needed Doncic to have a significant impact. He is emerging as one of the most dependable scorers off the bench, and his ability to play with or without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving makes him indispensable.
Jason Kidd liked what he saw from Grimes as a primary ball handler last week, as he finished with his Mavericks career-high
He had six assists against the Cleveland Cavaliers and intimated that the Mavericks might use him more as a playmaker even when Irving and Doncic are healthy to relieve some of the strain on them. Kidd prefers having players other than Doncic and Irving bring the ball up the court, and Grimes has filled in admirably when called upon. With that said, Grimes appears to have found a new home in Dallas, given how much Kidd trusts him and how well he fits into his system, but their decision not to extend him this offseason could backfire if another team makes a massive offer to him that the Mavericks are unable to match.
He has shown that he is much more than a 3-and-D wing during his time with the Mavericks, and the progression of his game will be interesting to watch as the season progresses. With Doncic and Irving out, he will likely continue to play a significant role and have the opportunity to exhibit his whole bag of tricks ahead of the most important summer of his career.
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