Quentin Grimes says he and Lakers have had mutual interest for a while

[ASFN Admin]

The Los Angeles Lakers worked very quickly this summer to fill out their roster with quality complementary players just after LeBron James left. In a span of under an hour, they reached a sign-and-trade agreement with the Utah Jazz to acquire center Walker Kessler, and they reached free agent agreements with big man Sandro Mamukelashvili and guards Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton.

Some people are down on the moves the Lakers have made. But Grimes had the ability to be a significant building block moving forward. The 26-year-old is known as a two-way wing who can score in the teens and bother opponents on the defensive end.

It looks like Los Angeles has wanted Grimes for a while, based on what he said during an appearance on ESPN LA radio.

“I think everybody wants to be wanted as a player and I feel like there was a lot of mutual interest between me and the Lakers for a while now. “Nobody expected Luka [Dončić] to be with the Lakers and we had a good little run with Dallas. I knew JJ [Redick], I knew Jarred Vanderbilt, I knew Kurt Rambis and Greg St. Jean and everybody so it was kind of like a no-brainer and a great fit honestly.”

Grimes did briefly play alongside Luka Doncic as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers have lacked two-way wings for the last few years, and he is poised to fill that void.

He said that he was sold on the sizable role the Lakers have in mind for him.

“That was really one of the bigger selling points. Talking with JJ and then having them be able to pitch me what my role [will] look like, having a pretty big offensive role within the team. But also having a big leadership role on defense as well as taking on that challenge every night of guarding the best players and wanting that responsibility. I want to have that challenge every night. So, that was really the two main things when I was choosing [a team] in free agency.”

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, coach Redick plans on having Grimes be a point-of-attack defender, which is the type of player the team hasn't had in a while. It finished 20th in defensive rating this past season, and the additions of Grimes and Kessler could improve that standing at least a little bit.

Grimes averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 0.9 steals a game last season as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Quentin Grimes says he and Lakers have had mutual interest for a while

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