Even after a 53-win season and a first-round victory without Luka Dončić, the Lakers braintrust determined it was time to scrap the roster and start over.
President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka’s highly anticipated 2026 summer with space and flexibility arrived. Players with massive roles last season left unceremoniously in free agency, leaving behind vital positions to be filled, and hopefully upgraded.
The roster now completely orbits around the planets of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Two
on-ball offensive dynamos who are league-wide leaders in shot creation volume, finishing first in total points scored per game as a duo.
One of the key starting shoes left to fill around them is for a two-way scorer and connective piece. LA identified that guy this summer as Quentin Grimes.
Listed at 6’5 and 207 pounds, Grimes will oscillate between positions one through three. LA inked him to a four-year, $60 million contract with a player option, making him the fourth highest-paid player on the team behind Luka, Reaves, and big man addition Walker Kessler. The deal would indicate he’s locked in as the fourth starter.
All the numbers and evidence point to Grimes flourishing next to LA’s backcourt. An elite and fearless spot-up shooter with a quick release, he’s a hand-in-glove fit next to high-level shot creators by popping to open space with tangible force and isn’t bashful with his attempts.
In the clip below, the Sixers run their stack action, a staple of the Lakers offense under head coach JJ Redick. It involves two screeners in a vertical alignment coming up for the ball handler. Grimes operates as the second screener, setting the back pick and pops out for the quick three.
Philly would run Grimes off numerous actions as the catalyst for their half-court offense. He shot 38.3% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers last season and the 1.13 points per possession on spot-ups put him in the 71st percentile. That percentage jumped to 45.8% in the playoffs in 11 games, leading the Sixers.
The shooting gravity lets Grimes do what he does best: turn into a rim seeker. He uses power dribbles and physicality to force his way against closeouts and aggressive defense.
In the clip below, he collects a dribble handoff. His defender is up pressuring the ball, leading to Grimes powering past him and finishing through contact.
Grimes averaged 6.6 drives per game, finishing at 53.6%. It’s a welcome number for the Lakers, who, with LeBron James exiting, have a pressing need for downhill attackers.
He excels as a cutter, using athleticism to fly in for lobs or creative layup finishes. He has good court awareness, often getting sharp cuts when defenders are ball-watching, like the one below.
With 3.3 assists per game, he’s shown to be a willing passer and has a good feel for hitting weakside shooters or teammates at the rim. Grimes is at his best playing off of stars while taking advantage of compromised defenses. Where he gets in trouble is his propensity to over-dribble. While the catch-and-shoot numbers are elite, his pull-up shooting is quite the opposite.
He shot just 24% on his off-the-dribble 3-pointers last year and the shot selection can leave much to be desired. Still, he’s shown he can shoulder the volume if it’s there and produce, even if it’s not hyper efficient.
He put up 21.9 points per game in 28 games for an injury-riddled Sixer team to close out the 2024-2025 season. He has a mid-range fadeaway he relies on and can get a shot up consistently with a high release point.
Where Grimes will carry heavy responsibility is on the defensive end. The starters, and the roster as a whole with the Kuminga situation now finalized, don’t have a bevy of point-of-attack defenders. Grimes’s offensive strengths translate well to the defensive end.
His physicality and athletic frame allow him to guard up or down. He’s a ball hawk when locked in and has quick hands for unsuspecting ball handlers while being a solid screen navigator who doesn’t get shoved off easily.
In their seven-game series win over the Boston Celtics, Grimes matched up with Jaylen Brown. Watch below as he stays attached on the initial down screen. He gets a deflection, picks up the star full court and forces a difficult shot at the end of the clock.
The defensive numbers point to an impact player on that end. Grimes gave up just 0.81 points per possession in isolation defense, placing him in the 75th percentile. He surrendered just 0.85 points per possession as the guard defender in ball screens.
He can get overmatched at times against the bigger predator wings around the league with this size and likely not who you want to be your main on-ball defender against the likes of the best superstars in the league. That being said, he’s a solid option whose aggressive style should pair well next to the erasing rim protection nature of Kessler
A bonus is the previous connection and familiarity with Luka. The two played together for 228 minutes in 21 games in Dallas, posting a +11.1 net rating.
While not the exact two-way wing front offices and fans dream about, Grimes brings a high floor, much-needed athletic play and should fit seamlessly into LA’s rotation next season as a vital starting piece in their hopeful playoff run.
You can follow Raj on X at @RajChipalu.
