As the season continues to draw closer, there has been much speculation about who the fifth starter will be for the Knicks. They have plenty of options, such as going double big, leaning into space, or keeping last year's unit. In reality, the best choice for the fifth starter may be a player that the Knicks traded away a year and a half ago: Quentin Grimes.
The Knicks traded Grimes in February of 2024 as part of a package to acquire Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons. At the time, the trade made all of the sense in the world for New York. Grimes was a role player, and Bogdanovic was a scoring punch that the Knicks needed for their playoff push.
Bogdanovic ended up suffering an injury that ultimately led to his retirement, while Grimes bounced around from Detroit to Dallas and ultimately to Philadelphia, where he got an opportunity to be the number one option as the 76ers were hampered with injuries.
Grimes got the opportunity he always wanted in New York
Grimes always wanted a bigger opportunity in New York and took advantage of the one he was given in Philadelphia. In 28 games with the 76ers, he averaged 21.9 points, 4.5 assists, and 5.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from three.
He also showed he has the ability to create his own shot, taking the most pull-up threes of his career as well as attacking defenders off of the dribble.
The Knicks would love to have Grimes back on the roster
The Knicks could use Grimes with their current starters. He has the ability to space the floor and shoot off of the catch, while also defending well one-on-one and within the system.
The most intriguing part of his game, and one that the Knicks could greatly use now, is his ability to handle the ball, specifically in minutes where Jalen Brunson is on the bench. Grimes showed the ability to read pick-and-roll coverages and make the right pass when he needed to in Philadelphia.
Obviously, the Grimes ship has sailed. He is a free agent, although restricted, and the Knicks don't have the cap space to make an offer that wouldn't be immediately matched by the 76ers. Still, in a different universe where the Knicks hadn't traded Grimes, he would be the ideal complementary piece for this current roster.