Quentin Grimes bets on himself and wins with Los Angeles Lakers

SAN FRANCISCO — Basketball trainer Ben Perkins was working out Quentin Grimes on a July morning in Houston when he suddenly stopped passing the ball upon seeing a stunning 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 news read from Shams Charania.

It was the first time Grimes’ big free-agent news became public. It was also the first time the new Lakers guard received a long-term contract in his NBA career. As the news broke during Grimes’ workout at the Guy V. Lewis Development Facility at the University of Houston, the reality evoked emotions of joy.

“I kind of broke down when the news broke with Shams and everything,” Grimes said prior to the Lakers’ preseason game Tuesday night. “It finally paid off, and then I went right back to the gym. People started congratulating me once he tweeted it. Everyone was congratulating you and going crazy.

“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 three times since the Los Angeles Clippers selected him with the 25th pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He has primarily been a role player over 318 games and five NBA seasons with New York, Detroit, Dallas and Philadelphia.

But with the Lakers, Grimes, who is 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, is expected to earn his first career full-time starting role, sharing the backcourt with six-time NBA All-Star Luka Doncic. Grimes is also entering a new era with the Lakers following the departure of NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron James. He joins a team led by Doncic, Austin Reaves and newly acquired center Walker Kessler.

Grimes has averaged 14 points, two 3-pointers and two assists per game as a starter in two preseason 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],” said Lakers head coach JJ Redick, whose relationship with Grimes dates back 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.”

Grimes’ first free-agent deal

Grimes showed a glimpse of his potential as a starter by averaging 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 28 games for the 76ers during the 2024-25 season after being dealt midseason from Dallas. He entered that summer as a restricted free agent; his highest annual salary at that point was $4.2 million.

While Grimes was confident in his game, he still felt he hadn’t proved himself after suiting up for his fourth franchise in a short span.

“You got to have a mindset that you have to try to win everybody over,” Grimes said. “You try to show people who you are. I kind of bounced around really quick. But I felt like every time I got in the gym, any day, you have to prove yourself and prove how good you are.

“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 representation desired a contract in the $30 million range from the 76ers last summer. Three months into free agency, Charania reported the Sixers’ first formal proposal to Grimes arrived Sept. 24, 2025: four years, $39 million. Days later, Philadelphia offered him a one-year, $8.8 million deal — $100,000 more than his qualifying offer in exchange for removing the no-trade clause.

Both offers were declined.

The Sixers next offered Grimes a $17 million one-year deal while waiving the no-trade clause, and also a two-year deal at $34 million with a player option, according to Charania.

Grimes turned those down as well, and then bet on himself by signing an $8.7 million qualifying offer with a no-trade clause to return to the Sixers for one more year.

He had no guaranteed money coming his way after 2026, meaning injury or poor performance could significantly suppress his future earnings. Meanwhile, the Sixers selected VJ Edgecombe with the third overall pick in the 2025 draft, and the rookie sensation took Grimes’ starting guard spot.

Through the risk and challenges, Grimes said he kept a positive attitude, remained confident and controlled only what he could control.

“It’s a gamble. It’s a risk,” Grimes said. “But sometimes you have to take some risk. You got to have belief in yourself knowing that if stuff didn’t go [my] way, that you’ll be OK. I felt that I was able to make that decision pretty smooth.

“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.”

Why Grimes signed with the Lakers

Grimes averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 29.4 minutes per game primarily as a reserve last season. He also got through the season healthy, playing in 75 games. Grimes said the Sixers didn’t make a strong attempt to re-sign him before ultimately landing two NBA stars in James and Jaylen Brown during the offseason.

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

And by signing with the Lakers long-term, Grimes finally felt valued, took a sigh of relief and gained a thirst for more.

“You get a little bit of validation for your work and your whole career up until this point,” Grimes said. “You know there is another [contract] that you want to get as well. But it definitely added some extra security on the back end knowing that you can just go out and play. You’re not playing 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.”

Re-joining Doncic as a starter in the Lakers backcourt was a big plus for Grimes, as they were teammates for 21 games in Dallas during the 2024-25 season. Redick said Doncic and Grimes “looked good together” when they started in the backcourt of the Lakers’ 127-103 preseason win at Sacramento on Monday.

The connection between Doncic and Grimes could also be seen as the Lakers star joked with the newcomer during 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 said. “He’s unselfish. He wants to pass. I seized my opportunity when it presented itself.”

Said Redick: “When Luka was off the floor, [Grimes] gave us a nice little pop offensively [against Sacramento]. [Grimes] did a good job of [defending] the basketball as well. I feel like Quentin is a nice little compliment to Luka. He obviously has the experience of playing 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 history

Grimes said then-New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau suggested in 2023 he reach out to Redick, who played 15 NBA seasons, for career advice. Grimes sent Redick a direct message on Instagram that summer in hopes of gaining some shooting tricks of the trade.

Redick responded quickly and invited Grimes to work out with him at the former’s home in Sag Harbor, N.Y., where he had a guest house and a gym.

Redick gave Grimes his address and the location of the key to get into the guest house. The then-ESPN NBA analyst was golfing when Grimes texted him to say he had arrived.

But to Redick’s surprise, Grimes wasn’t at the guest house when he returned home.

“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 told Spectrum SportsNet.

Grimes ultimately figured out where Redick was and had a fruitful time visiting with his future coach and his family for several days. Grimes and Redick became close and remained in contact after that visit, which proved beneficial in the Lakers’ signing this summer.

Grimes said he had a stronger connection with Redick than any other NBA head coach.

“Just having him from a friend aspect, just checking in, tapping in with me,” Grimes said. “Checking the games. Asking how my people were doing, how I’m doing. I’m asking how he is doing, how is his wife doing, how are the kids doing. So, when you have that friend aspect of it and that real human aspect of it, it makes it easier to play for a coach 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.”

Grimes’ family connection to the Lakers

Grimes father, Marshall, was also ecstatic his son was joining the Lakers.

Marshall Grimes was a teammate of eventual Lakers player, coach and executive Kurt Rambis at Santa Clara University from 1977-79. That led the elder Grimes to become a huge Lakers supporter, a fandom he passed down to his son.

Rambis currently 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 said of his father. “He was happy for sure.”

A year ago, Grimes had uncertainty about his NBA future. Now, he has security until 2030 as a member of the Lakers. In reflection, Grimes believes a lot could be learned from his NBA journey.

“Just go at your own beat,” Grimes said. “Go at your own risk. Don’t worry about what somebody else is doing. Don’t worry about somebody getting something earlier. Don’t worry about comparing yourself to others. Run your own race. Push your own speed. Stick to that work.

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