Nico Harrison's brutal Quentin Grimes trade just hit rock bottom for Mavericks

When the Dallas Mavericks decided to trade Quentin Grimes just a few days after moving Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most shocking trades in sports history, Mavericks fans were once again heartbroken. Over the course of half a regular season, Grimes became a fan-favorite guard for his hard-nosed style of play and ability to grow alongside a core that included Doncic.

Now, over a full offseason removed from two of the most shocking trades, Nico Harrison is once again shown why trading Grimes might be one of the biggest mistakes of his career. For the duration of the summer, Grimes and the Philadelphia 76ers were stuck in constant contract negotiations where the two parties could not find a middle ground.

While Grimes would continually be lowballed by Philadelphia, the two parties convened just weeks before the NBA season could start, and Grimes agreed to a one-year $8.7 million contract to stay in Philly. For months, it was looking like the Mavericks may have won the Grimes deal, but after signing for below the mid-level exception, Harrison once again looks wrong.

Grimes' newest contract with Philly is yet another stain for Nico Harrison

Since being traded to the Sixers, Grimes averaged almost 22 points per game on 46.0 percent shooting from the field, and while that came on an injury-riddled Philadelphia team, he, without a doubt, proved his worth. Grimes would not only shine in a 76ers uniform, but he also had multiple 40-point performances just weeks after being traded away from the Mavericks.

Harrison and Dallas sent a clear message to Grimes that they were betting against him and his development. While in Dallas, Grimes played exceptionally, but given the Mavericks' current cap situation, in no world could the Mavericks have handed Grimes the money he was asking for.

In return, the Mavericks would receive Caleb Martin, who not only played a limited number of games while in Dallas but was severely hampered by the things he could do on the floor due to injuries.

To make matters worse for the Mavericks, Grimes' signing for below $9 million and only on a one-year prove-it deal only pours more salt into the wound of Mavericks fans. For Harrison, his bet against Grimes ultimately aged horribly the second the Sixers and Grimes put pen to paper on a one-year contract.

It's hard to imagine Grimes staying with the Sixers for the duration of his time in the league or even through this season, but striking a deal that is so team-friendly makes Harrison look even worse than he already does.

Not only would Grimes' presence likely have helped the team make the playoffs last season due to the number of injuries that were piling up, but the Mavericks would not have as drastic a roster hole as they currently do at the guard spot with Grimes on their roster. It's hard to think about the situation the Mavericks would be in with Grimes still in Dallas, but it's easy to see that even without Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks may still have a better shot at returning to the playoffs.

One of the reasons the Mavericks were so willing to trade Grimes in the first place was due to offseason contract extension talks. Given what Philadelphia went through, it's safe to assume the Mavericks would have been in a similar boat, but still signing Grimes to a one-year deal is a steal for any team.