CLEVELAND — It was always an ideal match with Tom Thibodeau.
The coach has a soft spot for defensive players and Quentin Grimes fits his Knicks role exquisitely.
He’s prepared to guard the opposition’s top perimeter threat and won’t get in the way on offense.
So to nobody’s surprise, the team picked up the fourth-year contract option on Grimes before Tuesday’s deadline.
It was a given.
The big question, as it was even before the contract option pickup, is whether he’ll be worthy of a big extension next summer.
Grimes, 23, said it’s not something to fret over.
Yet.
“You try not to think about that too much. You focus on the team,” Grimes said. “The team accolades and all that, so that’ll take care of itself down the line. Definitely something to look forward to, for sure.”
With the Knicks and Immanuel Quickley unable to agree to terms last month, RJ Barrett remains the team’s only first-round pick to sign an extension since Charlie Ward.
Grimes could become the next one but too much is in the air for a prediction.
First, there’s an entire season to play out.
Having upended Evan Fournier a year ago, Grimes remains the starting two-guard despite the acquisition of Donte DiVincenzo.
He is Thibodeau’s first choice to guard opposing stars — whether it’s Jayson Tatum in the opener, Trae Young two days later, or Donovan Mitchell on Tuesday in Cleveland.
Grimes’ spot in the rotation is solid.
As the 25th pick in 2021, the big minutes on a playoff squad is something of an underdog story.
Grimes said he knew Thibodeau’s reputation for not playing rookies and did his best to counteract it.
And when the roster was depleted because of COVID-19 infections during the 2021-22 season, Grimes’ strategy worked.
“[Thibodeau] probably liked my work ethic from behind the scenes from coming after practice in my rookie year and stuff like that,” Grimes said. “And then I got an opportunity when COVID hit, got to make the most of it. So I feel like every time when he puts me in for the last four minutes of the game, you got to pick up full court. Make the most of it, show them you’re willing to do whatever. So I feel like it was a slow progressive thing connecting with Thibs.”
Still, there’s a sense, echoed from people close to the situation, that Grimes is capable of much more offensively.
He’s shown flashes of playmaking when given more opportunities with the ball.
But those chances are few when sharing a court with Jalen Brunson, Barrett and Julius Randle.
“I just do what’s asked of me. Go out there and guard the best player,” Grimes said. “I can kind of shoot the shots as I want to but maybe not put it on the floor as much as I can because we have three other guys who take a boatload of that. So I’m waiting patiently for my opportunity to come. But it’ll definitely come.”
Until then, Grimes is a 3-and-D wing who largely spots up in the corner on offense.
He’s the fourth option who just picked up his fourth-year contract option.
“It’s kind of just what the game gives me right now,” he said. “So I’ve gotta just be in the corner waiting for my opportunity to come to me, and I’ll make the most of it.”
That was easily worth a contract option.
But what about an extension? We’ll see after the season.
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