The Dallas Mavericks' best offseason addition isn't named Klay Thompson

When the Detroit Pistons traded Quentin Grimes to the Dallas Mavericks for Tim Hardaway Jr. this summer, the move didn't make many waves in the national media. It wasn't a move that would shake the league, after all.

The logic made sense from both teams; Detroit thought of THJ as a veteran who could provide consistency on a team just looking for NBA talent, and the Mavericks hoped Grimes could still grow into a starting-caliber guard on a team with championship aspirations, which the Mavericks hoped to be this year. Through about a month, it looks like Grimes is becoming that player.

As Grimes' minutes have increased, so has his production. Grimes failed to reach double-figure scoring in his first nine games of the season, but has achieved that 7 times in his past 10 games, including 3 straight games of 20-plus points, something he's never done before.

This scoring uptick is directly correlated with a minutes uptick, too. Through those first 9 games, Grimes didn't play over 20 minutes in a game once. He hasn't played under 20 minutes in any of his past 10 games. He's earned the trust of head coach Jason Kidd, and his spot in the Mavs rotation is solidified.

Quentin Grimes has been an underrated addition

Klay Thompson was the Mavs big-name addition this offseason — understandably so, as Thompson has been one of the league's best shooters for his entire time as a pro. But as Thompson's legendary career starts to head to the finish line, his production has slowed and his dead-eye shooting has become less consistent than it used to be. He's shooting just 36.8 percent from 3-point, far below the numbers we've gotten used to from him.

Grimes is on the opposite end of the spectrum. He's just 24 years old, will be a restricted free agent after next season meaning Dallas can (and likely will) extend his contract, and has already shown he can play in the playoffs — Grimes was an essential piece of the 2022-23 Knicks team before being relegated to a bench role last year and eventually being traded. He's the type of player that playoff teams need so desperately, and he's growing into a high-level player before our eyes.

The addition of Grimes slipped under the radar because of the Klay Thompson deal, but the 24 year-old might end up being the most pivotal piece the Mavs front office added this summer.