Just when everyone thought they were being awfully silent, the Philadelphia 76ers finally broke the ice on the trade market, taking part in the festivities by trading Caleb Martin to the Dallas Mavericks in a deal that seemingly came out of nowhere.
While the 76ers were expected to aggressively shop Martin, who has not lived up to expectations in his first year in Philly, hardly no one expected the Mavericks to be the buyers for his services. Dallas had just traded Luka Doncic in a massively shocking fashion, but it seems like their front office is far from finished making moves.
Philadelphia received Quentin Grimes and their own 2025 second-round pick (which Dallas previously controlled) in return, but this move actually leaves the 76ers with a gaping hole at the forward position. As a result, they have no choice but to immediately fill that spot.
The Philadelphia 76ers should immediately make this move after trading Caleb Martin
While Grimes is having a great year so far as an all-around wing, one thing he does not add to the 76ers is size and length. Philly already had problems on those departments even with Martin on board. Now, their issue only gets more pressing.
Put simply, the 76ers badly need to follow their trade up by trading once again, this time as buyers for a forward on the market. They do have some intriguing options to choose from, though some would require them having to pay a premium.
If the 76ers are serious about chasing a playoff spot in the coming months, addressing this void would be an imperative. For now, they would have to keep relying on Kelly Oubre Jr. and Justin Edwards to hold down the fort at forward, especially with Paul George still out and Guerschon Yabusele still playing a position up as a full-time center.
While Martin started off the season slow, he actually improved by a great deal as the campaign went along. Hence, the 76ers will have to get extra resourceful to try to fill up what they will miss with him, especially on defense and in three-point shooting — two areas they have been subpar at all season long.
Fortunately, all signs point to the Philadelphia 76ers not being finished. With the trade deadline still a few days away, they should have more than sufficient time to improve the roster and ammo to do just that.