Sixers' key free agent won't be returning next season

Sixers' key free agent won't be returning next season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

>One of the bigger storylines surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers last offseason was regarding what they were going to do with Quentin Grimes, who they had traded for at the deadline in a deal with the Dallas Mavericks. The 26-year-old was in the final year of his rookie contract at the time of the trade, meaning he'd enter restricted free agency with Philadelphia having the right to match any offer sent Grimes' way, or they could offer him a qualifying offer for the next season.

>The two sides opted to do the other, bringing Grimes back to the Xfinity Mobile Arena for a one-year $8.7 million contract, but the decision was made too late into the Sixers' preseason, meaning the 26-year-old would miss out on the entirety of preseason with his teammates. But once the ball got rolling, Grimes would show why he deserved a contract, averaging 16.9 points and 4.6 assists in the month of November alone, however this wouldn't last for long.

>As the season rolled on, the 26-year-old would start to have some mixed performances, ending the season with an average of 13.4 points on 45 percent shooting from the floor, both of which are steps back from where he was in his first season with the Sixers. It would be the latest footnote in the resume that Grimes would be set to use in the free agency window that opens on Tuesday evening, and according to a recent report, he won't be taking it to the Sixers' front office.

Grimes isn't expected to return to the SixersAlso: chiming in on multiple reports, sources indicate Quentin Grimes will not be back in a 76ers uniform. So Philly really needs another guard

— Tony Jones (@Tjonesonthenba) July 1, 2026As explained by The Athletic's Tony Jones, Grimes won't be back in the Xfinity Mobile Arena in the coming season. The report comes after it was discussed previously that the 26-year-old would be looking for a contract that would give him $10 million per year, something that Philadelphia could struggle to make work, given their existing expenditures, as well as the recent signing of Dean Wade for $39 million.

>Apart from the financial side of things, looking at the Sixers' depth chart, it would've been tough to find a world in which Grimes would receive ample playing time to live up to the salary demands, as VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, Dalen Terry, and the recently drafted Labaron Philon Jr all stand in his way of getting on the court.

>The upside for Philadelphia, finding out that Grimes doesn't wish to return, is that they'll have a jump on finding his replacement in the days to come.

>More Sixers news:

Sixers' Tyrese Maxey puts league on notice with recent post • >Sixers' Tyrese Maxey named to All-NBA third team • >Did the Sixers just find their Jared McCain replacement? • >76ers decline team option on veteran forward following rough season • >76ers opt to bring back standout forward after impressive season • >76ers' Free Agency Primer: What do they need?