Mavericks-76ers NBA trade grades after another surprising Dallas deal

The Mavericks got fleeced again in another surprising trade after Luka Doncic deal

The Dallas Mavericks made another surprising trade just days after shocking the world by trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.

The Mavericks traded Quentin Grimes and a 2025 second round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Caleb Martin, according to ESPN insider Shams Charania. The second-round pick in the trade originally belonged to Philadelphia, and would currently be the No. 37 overall pick at the time of this trade.

The Mavericks and Lakers were each expected to keep making moves ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. We’ve already pitched three trades the Lakers should make before the deadline. Mavs GM Nico Harrison said he made the Doncic trade in part because “defense wins championships,” and this deal is an extension of that philosophy once again.

Let’s grade the Martin-for-Grimes swap for both the Sixers and Mavericks, and try to figure out both teams’ motivations for the deal.

Mavericks trade grade for Quentin Grimes/Caleb Martin deal

This quote is going to live in infamy if the Mavericks never win a championship with Anthony Davis. It’s also the logic that informs this latest move from Dallas:

Grimes has been a better offensive player than Martin this year. Grimes is five years younger. Martin still has a few things going for him here: he’s bigger, he’s a better defender, and he’s already signed to a long-term contract while Grimes will need a new contract this summer.

Signing Martin to a four-year, $35 million contract away from the Miami Heat looked like a masterstroke for the 76ers this summer. Like just about everything in Sixers land this year, it turned out to be a big disappointment.

Martin has had one of the worst years of his career amid a nightmare season for Philadelphia. The 29-year-old wing was always meant to help support superstars by doing the dirty work and spacing the floor, and Philly’s entire team has crumbled as Joel Embiid has been limited to only 13 games because of a knee injury. It was easy to imagine Martin’s tough-nosed defense being a wonderful addition to the nucleus of Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, but after Embiid’s injuries and George’s own physical downfall, maybe Martin never had a chance.

Martin is shooting 37.9 percent from three at the time of the trade. He grades out as a positive defender in estimated plus/minus with a 72nd percentile ranking. At 6’5 with a strong frame and a 6’10 wingspan, he can matchup on bigger wing scorers as the Mavs rebuild their team around Davis and Kyrie Irving.

Martin just isn’t a very good offensive player outside of his low volume shooting. His 53.1 true shooting is well below league-average, and he carries a low usage rate of only 14 percent. He can’t really do anything off the dribble, and he’s not going to create a shot for any of his teammates. The Mavericks really need shot creation after their ludicrous Doncic trade, and Grimes is the far better shot-creator.

This move reeks of cheapness by the Mavs. The Doncic deal quietly got the team out of the luxury tax this year, and it seems likely they don’t want to increase payroll going forward if they were willing deal Grimes and a good second round pick for Martin. I doubt Grimes will command that much more than Martin on the open market this summer. He could get the mid-level exception, which is going to be about $14 million annually. Martin is making just under $10 million.

Grimes is much more of a connective wing than a real shot creator, but you would think the Mavericks grimwould want some offensive upside out of their non-Kyrie guards after the Doncic trade. This trade is way, way, way lower stakes than the Lakers deal, but it’s still a head-scratcher for Dallas.

Grade: C

76ers trade grade for Quentin Grimes acquisition

Grimes has regained his status as a promising young player after a down year last season that saw him get traded from the New York Knicks to Detroit Pistons. Mavs GM Nico Harrison did well to pluck him away from Detroit by offering Tim Hardaway Jr.’s shooting in return. Last week, it was easy to figure Grimes would be a long-term piece for Dallas around Doncic. My how things have changed in just a few days.

Philadelphia not only got the better and younger player in the deal, they also got a nice draft pick out of it. There have been plenty of success stories in the early second round in recent years, and the Sixers get another shot at finding a useful player in the draft by leveraging this pick out of Dallas.

Grimes’ per-36 numbers are impressive this season: 16.1 points, six rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. He’s shooting 39.8 percent from three 4.3 attempts per game. or 9.1 attempts per 100 possessions. He’s back to 60 percent true shooting just as he was during his promising second season with the Knicks. He’s a better and higher volume shooter than Martin, a more efficient overall scorer, and offers more dynamic offense off the dribble.

Grimes ranks in the 49th percentile of defensive EPM this year, which isn’t too bad. I think he has an even higher ceiling as a defender than that, and he should fit in nicely around Maxey or in bench units when he’s resting.

This trade isn’t going to change the Sixers’ miserable season, but it’s a very nice piece of work to add a quality young player. Philly has had the season from hell, but Daryl Morey always finds a way to make a good trade for his team.

Sixers grade: A