Quentin Grimes will not attend the 76ers’ media day on Friday or travel with the team to Abu Dhabi for two preseason games next week, his agent, David A. Bauman, confirmed to The Inquirer on Thursday.

It is the latest turn in Grimes’ prolonged saga in restricted free agency, in which both sides remain “very far apart,” a source familiar with the negotiations said Thursday.

Bauman said the Sixers’ first formal offer arrived Wednesday, at four years and $39 million. The source familiar with the negotiations slightly pushed back, noting that the Sixers and Bauman have had “hours and hours” of discussions this summer and that the Sixers presented rough outlines on what they were willing to offer.

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Now, it appears more likely that both sides are heading toward some sort of one-year deal. Grimes could accept his $8.7 million qualifying offer, which comes with a no-trade clause. Another option is a one-year “balloon” deal for a higher salary, which would waive Grimes’ no-trade clause. Both would make the shooting guard an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. The deadline to accept the qualifying offer is Wednesday, which Bauman has requested that the Sixers extend.

Bauman said Grimes’ absence should not be considered a holdout, and will avoid putting the 25-year-old guard in front of reporters with his contract situation still unresolved.

The agent also does not believe Grimes would have played in the preseason games against the New York Knicks in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 2 and 4, since he has not been participating in informal workouts and pickup games leading into the start of organized practices on Saturday. Grimes is expected to join the team once it returns from overseas.

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Bauman acknowledged the unfortunate timing of Grimes’ restricted free agency — both with the Sixers and across the NBA — after he averaged 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in 28 games in a breakout stretch following his trade-deadline acquisition.

Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond, and Eric Gordon had player options in their contracts entering the offseason. The Sixers’ dreadful 2024-25 season (and draft lottery luck) gave them the opportunity to select VJ Edgecombe third overall, with a higher starting salary than lower picks. Edgecombe’s arrival adds another player to the Sixers’ intriguing young backcourt, which includes Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain.

This summer’s particularly dire — and lingering — restricted free agency market is a ramification of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement and “apron” penalties that left fewer teams with salary-cap space or the willingness to spend.

Jonathan Kuminga remains in a very publicized limbo with the Golden State Warriors, while the Brooklyn Nets’ Cam Thomas took his qualifying offer earlier this month. The same week, the Chicago Bulls’ Josh Giddey agreed to a four-year, $100 million deal.

Bauman believes Grimes also commands an annual salary between $20 million and $25 million, which the Sixers are not willing to offer. Yet even with this “conflict” that restricted free agency can create, the source familiar with the negotiations said, the Sixers view Grimes as a significant part of the team’s future.

If the sides settle on a one-year deal, the Sixers will still have Grimes’ Bird Rights and an inside track to re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent. Additionally, a larger collection of teams is projected to have cap space in the 2026 offseason.