Mavericks Trade for 29-Year-Old Small Forward, More Moves to Come?
Just three days after the Dallas Mavericks made maybe the most surprising trade in NBA history by acquiring Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic, the Mavs have made another move, now acquiring Sixers wing Caleb Martin. Martin has been inconsistent this year with his shooting, averaging just nine points a game on 37% shooting from three, but has still shown signs of his days with the Heat just a couple of years ago. This move from Dallas shows their true want to go all in on this season, as by trading Quinten Grimes and a second-round pick, more of their future is now gone. The Mavs have now easily done the most at this deadline, and we shouldn’t be surprised if they aren’t close to done. Grabbing a mid-market priced wing with spark potential in Martin shows their willingness to improve this team as fast as possible.
Nico Harrison seems to have a sense of immediate urgency to build a contender around aging Kyrie Irving and AD who most likely only have a couple more years of their prime left. Trading Luka openly made many Mavericks fans and media personalities criticize their ability to make smart trades, and it seems like Harrison is trying to push back on such a narrative. Compared to players like Grimes, Martin has shown a much greater ability to perform in the playoffs, as he has had multiple huge games in his career, most notably in the 2023 run to the finals during his time with the Heat. As a team who has constantly struggled with the Celtics on their path to winning, with Kyrie having a miserable 1-15 record vs. his former team. Martin on the other hand has dominated the Celtics, winning the Eastern Conference Finals MVP against them back in 2023 as well as hitting a season-high seven threes against the reigning champs on Christmas.
This trade also begs the question, of what’s next for Dallas. After these two trades, the Mavericks still have three tradeable first-round picks as well as a flurry of young talent and contracts such as Daniel Gafford. With it being unlikely that they start games with a rather large lineup of Kyrie, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, AD, and Gafford, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Dallas is still very much in the market for another ball-handler next to Kyrie. After losing near the best in the league at such skill, it won’t be easy to replace, but if the Mavs can swindle a deal for a Lonzo Ball or another perimeter shooter, they will place themselves up as a legitimate contender in the West. While there have been outside reports of them going all in on another star like Jimmy Butler, Butler seems to have no desire to go anywhere except Phoenix according to insider Brian Windhorst. After a Luka Doncic press conference that didn’t put the Mavericks ownership in high regard, it is unknown if players still want to go to Dallas, but an opportunity to compete alongside AD and Kyrie, especially with wings like Martin and Thompson might definitely still gain some traction, at least in the buyout market. While Martin isn’t a culture changer, he is a great piece for a contender, as the Sixers went and paid him 40 million last offseason before their championship hopes were cut short by injuries. It’s tough to predict what Dallas will do at this point, but one thing is for sure, Nico Harrison and the Mavs want to contend this year.
