The Philadelphia 76ers have weathered the injury storm all season and are approaching the postseason with designs on making a run. A key part of their rotation is Quentin Grimes, a player on the roster because of a brilliant trade that the Sixers continue to win -- and Caleb Martin and the Dallas Mavericks continue to lose.
The headline trade that the Mavericks made in February of 2025 was the Luka Doncic deal, and they were rightfully panned for their poor process and poor execution. They easily took the crown for the worst trade that year.
The Grimes - Martin trade is a problem
Inexplicably, they also made the second-worst trade of that deadline. They traded talented young wing Quentin Grimes to the 76ers for cost-controlled forward Caleb Martin. What's worse, the Mavericks also sent a second-round pick to Philadelphia - despite Grimes clearly being the better player.
The Mavericks made the trade because of money, but it did a couple of things to them. First, it unbalanced their roster even further, as they traded Doncic for a big and then Grimes for a forward. Their roster was stocked with frontcourt players and utterly bereft of guards. That problem has persisted into this season as well.
Caleb Martin has been a disaster
The second problem is that Martin has been terrible. He was injured at the time of the trade, but rather than cancel the deal, the Mavericks merely reduced the draft compensation they were sending to the Sixers. He played in just 14 games for Dallas last season, shooting a frigid 38.9 percent from the floor.
This season, Martin has shot a little better (45 percent, 35 percent from deep) but has overall been having a terrible season. He is averaging just 14.8 minutes per game, clinging to the edge of the rotation. When he is on the court, the Mavericks' offense craters. He rarely shoots, he doesn't space the court, and he is putting up career-worst turnover and foul rates.
The Mavericks traded for Martin in large part because they were scared of paying Grimes his next deal, and had Martin locked up on a four-year contract. That contract is now a problem, as they cannot easily move on from him this summer - nor next, as he will likely pick up the player option for 2027-28.
Quentin Grimes has been fantastic in Philly
While Martin has struggled, Grimes has shone. He was luminous down the stretch of last season on an injured and tanking 76ers team, averaging 21.9 points per game to go with 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals.
This season the addition of VJ Edgecombe and the overall health of Tyrese Maxey has relegated Grimes to a bench role, but he is still playing extremely well even in a smaller role. He can score in bunches, he fills up the box score, and plays hard on defense.
The 76ers would have a salary albatross on their books right now if they had not made the trade. Instead, they have a high-octane third guard who can defend multiple positions. They can bring him back this summer on a new deal, or let him walk if another opportunity opens up.
The 76ers continue to win the trade, a slam dunk move that could be the difference in winning a playoff series or not this season.