For guard Quentin Grimes, the decision to join the Lakers this summer was a “no-brainer.”
Because for the 26-year-old Grimes, the Lakers offered several appealing factors: stability, familiarity and opportunity.
Stability in the form of a four-year, $60 million contract (with a player option for the 2029-30 season) after playing for four teams over the previous two years (Knicks, Pistons, Mavericks and 76ers) coming off his rookie scale deal and qualifying offer in 2025-26.
Familiarity with multiple Lakers personnel: Grimes was briefly teammates with Lakers superstar Luka Doncic in Dallas before Doncic was traded to the Lakers.
Luka Doncic and Quentin Grimes were briefly teammates during 2024-25 while playing for the Mavericks. NBAE via Getty Images
Lakers coach JJ Redick also trained Grimes for a couple of days during the 2023 offseason.
Grimes enters the 2026-27 season with an opportunity to be on the first unit for the Lakers alongside Doncic, star guard Austin Reaves, marquee offseason addition Walker Kessler and an unknown fifth starter.
“Everybody wants to be wanted as a player, and I feel like there was a lot of mutual interest between me and the Lakers for a while now,” Grimes told ESPN LA in July. “Nobody expected Luka to be with the Lakers — we had a good little run with Dallas. I knew JJ. I knew Jarred Vanderbilt. I knew Kurt Rambis …[assistant coach] Greg St. Jean. It was kind of like a no-brainer and a great fit, honestly.”
And after so much movement over the last few seasons — including being traded three times in one year — Grimes can be settled with a team that’s shown how much it values him.
But this next step in his career will come with greater expectations.
Lakers coach JJ Redick hosted Quentin Grimes (above) for workouts during the summer of 2023 while Grimes was playing for the Knicks. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Grimes started his career with the Knicks as a consistent rotation player — and sometimes starter — under former coach Tom Thibodeau, sometimes tasked with guarding the opponent’s best perimeter players.
But over the last couple of years, he’s been able to show off more of his offensive skill set. This was especially true during his 28 games with the 76ers to close out the 2024-25 season in which he averaged 21.9 points and 4.5 assists as a starter during a down season for Philadelphia.
Luka Doncic (77) and Quentin Grimes will be reunited this season after Grimes signed with the Lakers. Getty Images
In 2025-26, after accepting a one-year, $8.7 million qualifying offer with the 76ers last summer as a restricted free agent, he settled back into mostly playing as a key reserve with multiple guards/wings ahead of him on the depth chart.
But with the Lakers, his responsibilities will grow.
He’ll be expected to be a consistent offensive contributor while also being tasked with being the team’s primary point-of-attack defender.
“That was really one of the biggest points, talking with JJ and them, having them being able to pitch me what my role would look like,” Grimes said. “Having a pretty big offensive role within the team. But also having a big leadership role on the defensive end as well. Taking on that challenge every night of guarding the best players and wanting that responsibility. I want to have that challenge every night.”
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