The Lakers’ busy Wednesday morning came with one move that had to hit Mavericks fans the hardest: Quentin Grimes is headed to Los Angeles on a four-year, $60 million deal, and he’ll be back alongside Luka Doncic.
For Dallas, the sting is obvious. The Mavericks had the financial flexibility to get into the Grimes market with the mid-level exception, and after a quiet start to the offseason, watching him land with the Lakers only makes the situation look worse from the outside.
Grimes’ value has climbed fast since Dallas dealt him to the Philadelphia 76ers in February of 2025. Once his role expanded, he showed far more than just scoring flashes. In 28 games with Philadelphia to close the 2024-25 season, he averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46.9/37.3/75.2.
That kind of production is exactly why plenty of Mavericks fans hoped a reunion could happen this summer. Dallas had a clear need for more point-of-attack defense and another shot creator, and Grimes looked like a natural fit on paper. He also would have brought shooting, defense and secondary playmaking to a roster that could use all three.
There was another layer to the disappointment, too. Nico Harrison’s decision to move Grimes for Caleb Martin is viewed as one of his biggest missteps as Mavericks GM, with only the departures of Jalen Brunson and Doncic ranking ahead of it in that regard. Seeing Grimes resurface with Doncic in Los Angeles only sharpens that criticism.
Dallas also had a financial argument working in its favor. If Grimes had chosen the Mavericks and signed for the MLE, he would have made more money in Texas than he would have in California because of the state income tax difference.
Still, the draw of Los Angeles won out. The chance to team up with Doncic again, plus the spotlight that comes with playing for the Lakers, appears to have carried more weight than a return to Dallas. There were no reports of the Mavericks being interested in signing him this offseason, even though the fit looked so clean.
That doesn’t mean Dallas is out of options. The Mavericks can still improve through trade or free agency, but they need to do more than the rumored trade for Marcus Sasser. With a lot riding on a return to the playoffs next season and no control of their first-round pick, standing still is not an option.
Grimes would have likely had a bigger role in Dallas than he will in Los Angeles, where he shares a position with Austin Reaves. He was also already familiar with multiple players on the roster, which would have made a move back simple for both sides.
Now, though, the Mavericks have to look elsewhere. The clock is moving quickly, top free agents are already coming off the board, and Dallas can’t afford to reach training camp with little to show for the offseason.
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Mavericks Just Lost Their Cleanest Daniel Gafford Trade Path
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Utah now plans to pair Hayes with Jusuf Nurkic, which makes the Jazz a far less obvious destination in any Gafford pursuit. For Dallas, that means the front office has to keep looking for another team willing to take on a center with value, while also sorting through its own roster construction after adding Morez Johnson Jr. in the draft and trading for Santi Aldama. [Read more 🡒]