Any NBA team wants to avoid an unnecessary salary. If a deal is big enough, orchestrating a salary dump can be difficult. With that in mind, teams will sometimes opt to move a player before they get paid.
Meanwhile, the NBA trade deadline is here. Within the next 24 hours, we’ll see some players get moved. Some of those players will be young and about to get their rookie extension. If a team would prefer to avoid paying them, they’ll trade them.
Take Quentin Grimes of the New York Knicks. He’d widely expected to be moved at the deadline. By all accounts, the Knicks don’t want to pay him this summer. Could they send him to the Dallas Mavericks?
NBA Trade Proposal
New York Knicks Receive: F/C Markieff Morris, 2025 Second-Round Pick (TOR via DAL), 2028 Second-Round Pick (MIA via DAL)
Dallas Mavericks Receive: G/F Quentin Grimes
Is this a knock on Grimes? Not at all. He’s an intriguing young player. That doesn’t mean that he’s necessarily right for the Knicks.
After all, this team has win-now designs. The Knicks recently acquired O.G. Anunoby. He’s a functionally similar player to Grimes, but he’s far superior. Given their age gap, that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Quentin Grimes, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks Updates
That’s the central point here. The Knicks aren’t likely to lean on young players. Grimes doesn’t factor into their future now that they’ve opened a win-now window. Should they send him to the Mavericks?
Why The New York Knicks Do The Deal
This is an issue when looking to move young players ahead of their extension. Their value is compromised. Any team acquiring Grimes knows that they’ll either have to pay him this summer or acquire him as a short-term rental.
So, the Knicks should seek cap relief. That’s what they’re getting here. Morris is on an expiring contract. His deal is small – the Knicks aren’t saving much here, but they are avoiding a large expenditure.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Quentin Grimes, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks Updates
Otherwise, they’re also netting a pair of second-rounders. That’s not a huge return, but given Grimes’ depreciating value, it’s something. Should the Mavericks give anything up for Grimes?
Why The Dallas Mavericks Do The Deal
Let’s look at Grimes. He’s not much of a shot creator. Still, Grimes is already a strong 3-and-D guard. He should thrive next to an elite playmaker.
In other words, he’s a perfect fit next to Luka Doncic. Grimes’ low-usage brand of basketball should be useful to the Mavs. It allows them to stagger Doncic and Kyrie Irving and have a complimentary player next to either at any given time.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Quentin Grimes, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks Updates
If it works well enough, Dallas could try to retain Grimes this summer. Yet, even if it doesn’t, there’s no harm in taking Grimes on as a rental at this cost. Whether they want his contract or not is a different question.
