At the NBA trade deadline last season, the Detroit Pistons made a series of roster-shaking moves to position themselves for the final stretch of the 2024 campaign.
Among the headline deals was sending veterans Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks to the New York Knicks, bringing a flurry of players back to Detroit. One of the most intriguing pieces the Pistons acquired in the trade was former first-round pick Quentin Grimes.
On paper, Grimes was a perfect fit for Detroit’s needs. A 23-year-old defensive stalwart with proven three-point shooting ability, Grimes had the potential to fill a critical role for a team sorely lacking in reliable outside scoring.
At his age, he seemed like a player who could grow alongside Detroit’s young core, giving them a valuable complementary piece.
However, Grimes came to Detroit nursing a knee injury, which limited his impact immediately following the trade. He suited up for just six games, averaging 5.3 points per game (PPG) and shooting a dismal 14.5% from beyond the arc.
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It was evident that the former Houston star wasn’t at full strength, and the Pistons didn’t get a true look at what he could bring to the team.
Fast forward to the offseason, and Grimes’ stint in Detroit was over as quickly as it began. The Pistons’ front office, led by GM Trajan Langdon, moved on from the promising wing, including him in the trade package that sent Tim Hardaway Jr. from the Dallas Mavericks to Detroit. The move raised eyebrows among analysts and fans alike, with many questioning whether the Pistons were too quick to give up on Grimes.
In a recent evaluation by Bleacher Report of every NBA team’s offseason, the decision to part ways with Grimes was listed as one of the Pistons’ more puzzling moves.
“But Detroit should have been able to pull that off without including Grimes, a valuable shooter and defender at the guard spot who was a regular starter for the New York Knicks as recently as 2022-23. Maybe Grimes was never going to feature prominently in Detroit, but he’s more than a throw-in and could have been used to bring back assets in a separate trade.”
From an outside perspective, it seemed premature for a team in Detroit’s position—rebuilding and searching for young talent—to move on from a prospect like Grimes before he had the opportunity to fully recover and showcase his skills.
NBA RUMORS & NEWS: Detroit Pistons Updates
The reality is that Grimes didn’t have star potential, but that wasn’t why Detroit acquired him. He projected as a solid, starting-caliber player with much-needed shooting and defense—two attributes the Pistons still lack in abundance.
With more time to heal and regain form, Grimes could have brought significant value to a team still piecing together its future. Instead, Detroit cut ties quickly, raising questions about the long-term strategy behind their roster-building approach.
While Hardaway Jr. is a seasoned veteran with his own skill set, the Pistons may regret not giving Grimes a longer leash. If Grimes bounces back and contributes elsewhere, it will serve as a reminder that sometimes patience with young talent can pay off down the line.
For a rebuilding team, those kinds of decisions can shape the trajectory of the franchise.
Only time will tell if parting ways with Grimes will be a misstep, but for now, it’s a move that will continue to spark debate as Detroit navigates its rebuild.
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