The Sixers were determined to get younger. They may have found a gem in Quentin Grimes.

The 76ers will tell you that their moves at the NBA trade deadline and beyond were about getting younger and more athletic. But they also were about getting up-close looks at potential role players for the future.

Early indications are that the acquisition of Quentin Grimes was a success. Time will tell about Lonnie Walker IV. Meanwhile, Jared Butler has not appeared to work out as the team had hoped.

The Sixers acquired Grimes and Butler via separate trades before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6. Then they signed Walker to a two-year, $3.7 million deal on Feb. 21 after he facilitated a return to the NBA by agreeing to a buyout of his contract with Lithuania’s BC Žalgiris two hours before the Feb. 18 deadline.

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They got younger when Grimes and Butler, both 24, were acquired in trades for Caleb Martin, 29, and Reggie Jackson, 34. The same approach applied when they signed Walker, 26, to play in place of the injured Eric Gordon, 36.

But the youth movement hasn’t immediately made the Sixers a better team. They take a 21-40 record into Thursday’s game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. They’ve lost 13 of their last 15 games.

Yet Grimes has turned out to be a great pickup, one the team can move forward with if the price is right. The combo guard could come off the bench for the Sixers when the team is healthy. He’s also capable of sliding into the starting lineup when there are injuries.

He’ll become a restricted free agent this summer. Initially, that sounded great for the Sixers. Restricted free agents can sign offer sheets with other teams, but the original team is allowed to match that offer. If the Sixers were to match an outside offer, Grimes would return to Philly.

But what if another team is willing to overpay for Grimes, knowing the Sixers have a lot of money tied into Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey? Will the Sixers still match a deal that has the potential to set them back financially?

Grimes is a solid addition, but he will drop down the offensive production pecking order if Embiid, Maxey, George, and Jared McCain are healthy next season. So the Sixers have to ask themselves if it makes sense to overpay for someone to stand in the corner and provide defense.

That said, it’s easy to understand the Sixers’ decision to ship Martin in exchange for Grimes, who has been remarkable in scoring at least 30 points in three of his last eight games.

He had a game-high 30 points on 12-for-18 shooting in Tuesday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. That was three days after he scored a career-high 44 points as the Sixers upset the Golden State Warriors at the Wells Fargo Center. And his other 30-point effort came in a Feb. 12 loss to the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center.

If the price is right, Grimes would be worth keeping. He’s a tough player and a very good defender. The Houston native also can make shots and has known Maxey since their high school days.

Grimes has averaged 17.7 points on 52.4% shooting — including 38.2% on his three-pointers — in 11 games since being acquired from the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 4. He also has averaged 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals in 32.7 minutes.

The Sixers acquired Butler and converted his two-way contract to a standard NBA deal. He’ll make $745,726 for the remainder of this season and has a club option for $2.3 million for next season. The Sixers have until June 29 to pick up his option.

The Sixers were excited about the acquisition. They even gave up Jackson and a 2026 first-round pick to Washington in exchange for Butler and four second-rounders.

But he’s a fringe NBA player. At best, he’s a third-string point guard, and two-way point guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. recently supplanted him for that spot.

Then again, the Sixers brought Butler in to take an up-close look at someone they were high on during the 2021 NBA predraft process. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans in the second round and traded to the Utah Jazz. One of his career highlights came when the Wizards faced the Sixers on Jan. 8 at the Wells Fargo Center. Butler torched the Sixers for a season-high 26 points while making 11 of 19 mostly wide-open shots.

He has shown an ability to set up teammates for easy baskets while averaging 3.4 assists in 14.1 minutes as a Sixer. However, his shooting woes have been detrimental to the offense. Butler is averaging 6.9 points on 40.9% shooting — and has made just 3 of 16 three-pointers.

Acquiring Walker became a priority for the Sixers after Gordon required season-ending surgery on his right wrist. But the Reading native’s first six games mostly have been a struggle. He’s averaging 4.8 points on 28.6% shooting while making just 6 of 23 three-pointers.

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Walker did have a breakout performance Monday in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, finishing with 13 points while making 3 of 6 three-pointers. He also had two steals and two blocks. That performance showed why the Sixers were eager to provide a second NBA opportunity for the San Antonio Spurs’ 2018 first-round pick. Walker played six NBA seasons before heading overseas in the fall.

Right now, he’s having a tough time readjusting to the NBA game. However, the shooting guard could be a solid addition moving forward if he can find a groove. If not, he could play elsewhere next season.

He signed for a base salary of $780,932 for the remainder of this season with a club option of $2.9 million next season. The Sixers have until June 29 to pick up his option.

But all three were safe acquisitions for the Sixers. Now it’s just a matter of being able to keep Grimes.