When the Philadelphia 76ers traded Caleb Martin, the impetus for the Dallas Mavericks was to have a steady and reliable three-and-D forward who has playoff experience and can provide some much-needed three-point shooting around their new core of Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving in the aftermath of the catastrophic Luka Doncic trade. Little did the Mavs know that they were actually getting the non-serviceable version of him.
Last season, Martin barely saw the court for the Mavericks, appearing in just 14 outings and turning in putrid shooting splits thanks to the aftereffects of his nagging injuries. Still, Martin had some pedigree in him to warrant the belief that Dallas would still deplot him consistently this season. Unfortunately, that cannot be any farther from the truth.
So far, the former 76ers forward’s career has suited up in just nine games, getting a slew of DNPs early on. He has found himself in Jason Kidd’s doghouse, and even their revolving door of injuries has not been enough for him to see the floor consistently. This season, he’s averaging just 9.1 minutes per game.
Caleb Martin’s career has been on life support since the 76ers traded him
To make matters worse, there really isn’t any clear pathway to Martin getting meaningful court time anytime soon. The Mavs seem dead-set on riding with their current forward rotation of Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall, and PJ Washington, leaving no room for the 30-year-old to sniff the hardwood in non-garbage time situations.
He is also basically handcuffed into staying in Dallas. Including this season, he still has two more years on his deal with a player option to extend that to three. And given that he is making approximately $10 million per campaign, there is no way that he would entertain a contract buyout with the Mavericks.
For now, Martin has no way out but to wait for his opportunity. Unfortunately, those chances have become hard to come by for him in Dallas, and it is not like his production has incentivized the Mavs to mobilize him more than they have.
Of course, he could always be traded. But in view of the fact that he is barely even touching the floor, really, what are the chances that a team seriously tries to mount an offer to acquire him? His only hope in that regard is to be included in a bigger deal as a salary filler.
Hopefully, Caleb Martin finds a way to extend his career. But having said that, the 76ers are probably relieved to not be the ones having to house him on their roster. In fact, he even allowed the franchise to get their hands on Quentin Grimes, who has become a vital part of the squad.