The Philadelphia 76ers did not stutter when they made the decision to trade Caleb Martin to the Dallas Mavericks last year, especially in view of the fact that they were getting Quentin Grimes in return. The trade was a decidedly impressive one, with all rational basketball minds coming to the quick conclusion that the 76ers won that trade by a mile.
Sure, that will probably remain to be the case moving forward. Despite his inconsistency, Grimes has still been a positive addition to the 76ers since late last season. However, Martin is slowly reminding people that he can still play at a high level when he is given real court time. Away from the public eye, he has quietly turned in a respectable campaign for Dallas in the current campaign.
Martin started the year off not even getting to sniff the court as he was cemented in Jason Kidd’s doghouse. However, due to all the injuries the Mavericks have faced this season, the veteran has gotten more opportunities to showcase his skills and test his mettle, and the results have been largely positive.
Caleb Martin is slowly proving the 76ers wrong
In just a hair below 15 minutes a night this season, Martin has averaged four points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, draining 45.7 percent of his shots and 38 percent of his three-point tries. His profile as an all-around role player has persisted despite his role basically capsizing compared to recent years, and that is certainly a welcome development for Dallas.
To be fair, Martin was also able to weather a pretty slow start for the 76ers last season. However, his relatively lengthy deal proved to be markedly difficult to stomach for the front office, which is the main reason that led to his premature exit from the franchise.
With two more years left on his deal (subject to a player option in the final year of his contract), the Mavs would certainly be enthused by the prospect of Martin being effective as a utility player off the bench. So far, he is producing solid numbers when given real minutes, and if he continues this level of play, he will be a prime candidate to bag a bigger role next season.
For now, he needs to keep on capitalizing on the opportunities he has been given. Heck, if he is vindictive enough, he can turn the 76ers into a source of motivation in order to prove them wrong.