The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to continue their push for a guaranteed playoff berth with 28 games remaining on their regular season schedule. Due to their continued efforts to integrate Luka Dončić into their offensive strategy, Los Angeles could be a dangerous team heading down the stretch as the Western Conference’s current No. 5 seed with a 33-21 record.
While the team has been prepared for future success due to the Dončić acquisition from the Dallas Mavericks prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline, there are still certain personnel upgrades that could be addressed this summer.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Lakers’ general manager Rob Pelinka could look to bolster his guard rotation, which may lead to him exploring all of his options by delving into the restricted free agency pool to negotiate a contract with Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard Quentin Grimes.
At just 24 years old, Grimes has had a whirlwind past few seasons.
After earning a trip to the Rising Stars Challenge as a member of the New York Knicks in 2023, the 6-foot-5 sharpshooter was traded to the Detroit Pistons. In 2024-25, Grimes then spent some time as Dončić’s teammate with the Mavericks before being dealt once again to the 76ers.
In 52 appearances split between Dallas and Philadelphia, Grimes is averaging 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists while connecting on 38.6% of his attempts from three-point range.
Grimes was able to flash his potential as a catch-and-shoot option with Dallas while also improving with his ball-handling and one-on-one shot-creation abilities.
With the 76ers, he’s now beginning to take advantage of an increased playing time and shot volume by contributing 15.8 points and 6.4 rebounds on a 46.8% field goal percentage in his first five contests with the franchise.
As a prospective member of the Lakers for the 2025-26 season, Grimes could easily be of use to both Dončić and four-time NBA champion LeBron James as a deadly 47.6% corner three-point shooter and developing on-ball scoring option.
In recent history, the superstar tandem has relied upon consistent shooting threats at the guard position to knock down open three-point looks and keep the offense moving, and Grimes could be a perfect candidate to fill both roles with relative ease.
More NBA: Thunder urged by Stephen A. Smith to chase $194 million superstar via trade to form Big Three in OKC
