Asleep at the Wheel? Daryl Morey re-signs washed Eric Gordon while Quentin Grimes’ Sixers future hangs in the balance

While just about every team in the Eastern Conference is making bold, aggressive moves to contend — the Sixers are… well, the Sixers. Eric Gordon is back. Quentin Grimes is in limbo.

We’re still sitting around waiting for Daryl Morey to show a pulse.

On Tuesday night, the Sixers announced they’re bringing back 36-year-old Eric Gordon on a one-year, veteran minimum deal. According to PhillyVoice, Gordon declined his $3.4M player option only to turn around and re-sign at the minimum — giving the Sixers a slight cap break with a $2.3M hit instead.

Was there a ton of interest in Gordon on the open market? Doubt it.

This was always the most likely outcome. Gordon is here for his veteran presence, occasional corner threes, and more importantly, to mentor rookie VJ Edgecombe, who he’s played with on Team Bahamas.

Sixers bring back Eric Gordon

EG is BACK. @TheofficialEG10 | @FultonBank pic.twitter.com/MrbVAdUo7l

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) July 2, 2025

Here’s where things get real.

The 76ers tendered a qualifying offer to Quentin Grimes, $8.7 million, making him a restricted free agent. That means other teams can throw the bag at him, and the Sixers will have the chance to match.

The problem? The bag might be a lot heavier than we thought.

According to multiple reports (Marc Stein, Jake Fischer, Bobby Marks), Grimes could be looking at a starting salary north of $16 million, and maybe even as high as $25 million annually, depending on which desperate team wants to outbid Philly.

The 76ers cannot afford to lose Quentin Grimes.

With the East reloading — the Sixers can’t afford to sit this one out. They can’t afford to sign any big names? fine. But the bare minimum has to be retaining a young, switchable guard who can shoot and defend at a high level.

Sources have indicated there’s confidence the 76ers will match any Grimes offer. Cool. Now prove it. Because we’ve seen this front office fumble before.

Daryl Morey needs to prove to all of us fans that he hasn’t fallen asleep at the wheel.

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