Overview

• An anonymous executive said it is hard to justify a $20 million deal for Grimes when guards like Gary Trent Jr. can be signed for under $4 million.
• Only the Cleveland Cavaliers have exceeded the NBA’s second luxury-tax apron this offseason as teams prioritize cost-efficient signings.
• Philadelphia’s $8.74 million qualifying offer gives the Sixers exclusive matching rights, deterring rival bids in restricted free agency.
• Front-office sources laud Grimes’s efficient scoring, defense and playmaking but differ on whether he merits a near max-level deal.
• The post-2016 cap spike era saw emerging players routinely secure $20 million contracts, a practice now scarce in today’s tighter, value-focused market.