Dallas Mavericks coaches reportedly held no resentment over the midseason trade that sent Quentin Grimes to the Philadelphia 76ers, despite his impressive performance after the move.
On The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon explained that while some Mavericks staff voiced frustration over other roster moves, Grimes’ departure was not among them.
“None of the Mavericks coaches were upset about the Grimes-for-Martin trade,” MacMahon said, via HoopsHype. “They didn’t really value Grimes long-term.”
Grimes, 25, blossomed with the Sixers after the deal, averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 28 games. He shot 47% from the floor and 37% from beyond the arc.
Despite his emergence, Dallas staff appeared comfortable moving on from him, suggesting they did not view him as a foundational piece.
MacMahon added that the coaching staff “weren’t shy” in sharing their disappointment with other trades but accepted the Grimes-for-Martin swap without pushback.
Grimes is now a restricted free agent, and negotiations with Philadelphia are ongoing. Sixers president Daryl Morey recently called finalizing Grimes’ deal “the last piece of business” for the summer, but gave no timeline for an agreement.
The Sixers have ruled out a sign-and-trade, leaving Grimes with three options: agree to a multi-year contract, play under the $8.7 million qualifying offer, or extend talks further into the offseason.
The slow restricted free agent market has also impacted other players such as Jonathan Kuminga and Josh Giddey, as many teams have limited cap space and fewer bidders.
