The Los Angeles Lakers are not done building. They just agreed to a trade to acquire big man Walker Kessler from the Utah Jazz, and they’re already loading up on another two players to complete their roster.
This spending spree comes less than 24 hours after LeBron James’ decision not to return to Los Angeles became public. And it seems like Rob Pelinka and Co. aren’t wasting any time to improve their chances for a title shot next season.
Lakers Complete Major Quentin Grimes Signing to Bolster Their Roster
Los Angeles has agreed to terms with free agent guard Quentin Grimes on a four-year, $60 million contract, including a player option, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Free agent guard Quentin Grimes has agreed to a four-year, $60 million to join the Los Angeles Lakers, with a player option, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/5mcp4pULuD
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2026
Rob Pelinka wrapped up negotiations with Grimes’ CAA Sports agents Austin Brown and Steven Heumann to add the versatile wing scorer to a roster taking shape quickly around Luka Dončić and Reaves.
Grimes is exactly the kind of player a Dončić-led team needs around it: a legitimate perimeter shooter and off-ball threat with the length and athleticism to defend multiple positions. At 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, he gives Los Angeles something they have lacked in the backcourt for years.
The 2024-25 season was a turning point in Grimes’ career. Grimes appeared in 28 games off the back of a mid-season signing, started 25 of them, and averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists during that stretch. It also included a career-high 46-point outburst against the Houston Rockets on March 17.
He followed that with a one-year deal to return to Philadelphia for 2025-26, where he settled back into a secondary role behind Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George, averaging 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 0.9 steals across 75 games.
The production dipped from his 2024-25 peak simply because the Sixers had three All-Stars healthy for most of the year. On a team built around Dončić with fewer primary ball-handlers competing for touches, Grimes will have considerably more room to show what he’s capable of.
The 26-year-old was originally selected 25th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, spending time with the Knicks, Mavericks, and Pistons before landing in Philadelphia. He arrives in Los Angeles as a player who has consistently shown he can score in volume when given opportunity and whose defensive versatility adds real value.
Dončić’s teams have thrived when surrounded by capable shooters and defenders. Grimes checks both boxes. With Reaves handling the secondary creation duties and Kessler protecting the rim, Grimes rounds out a starting five that begins to take real shape in the post-LeBron James era.
