Mavericks Acquire Caleb Martin From Sixers For Quentin Grimes, 2025 2nd Rounder

[RealGM Wiretap]

The Dallas Mavericks have acquired Caleb Martin from the Philadelphia 76ers for Quentin Grimes and a 2025 second round pick. The second round pick originally belonged to the Sixers, so they acquire it back from the Mavericks as part of the trade.

Martin signed a four-year, $28 million deal with the Sixers during the 2024 offseason after leaving the Miami Heat.

Via Shams Charania/ESPN

[PapaBear53]

Wasn't it just a couple of years ago Grimes was "untouchable" in trade scenarios with the Knicks?

[TimeisIllmatic]

Wasn't it just a couple of years ago Grimes was "untouchable" in trade scenarios with the Knicks?

Yep for a chance at Donovan Mitchell lol

[ecuhus1981]

This is on a much smaller scale, but just value for value it's an even worse deal than the Luka one. Quentin is younger, cheaper and better, more efficient and under club control as an RFA this summer. There is no world where Dallas should have needed to GIVE a pick in the trade, Philly should have needed to incentive this exchange.

26 other teams are calling Dallas right now to see what they can fleece, Nico is offering a fire sale.

Nets offer Day'Ron Sharpe for Lively and 4 future 1sts. Take it before we change our minds, Harrison.

[puja21]

Wasn't it just a couple of years ago Grimes was "untouchable" in trade scenarios with the Knicks?

Yep for a chance at Donovan Mitchell lol

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[Luv those Knicks]

This is on a much smaller scale, but just value for value it's an even worse deal than the Luka one. Quentin is younger, cheaper and better, more efficient and under club control as an RFA this summer. There is no world where Dallas should have needed to GIVE a pick in the trade, Philly should have needed to incentive this exchange.

26 other teams are calling Dallas right now to see what they can fleece, Nico is offering a fire sale.

Nets offer Day'Ron Sharpe for Lively and 4 future 1sts. Take it before we change our minds, Harrison.

As a restricted free agent, Grimes probably doesn't stay cheaper. I think that's the point. Dallas is going for the guy locked up for an affordable contract over the restricted free agent who can explore free agency, even if Dallas has the right to match.

I don't know what Grimes is worth in free agency. He's got a nice effective FG% for a guard. .564 career, .573 this year for Dallas. 38% from 3. He doesn't shoot a ton, but I could see him in a higher usage situation flirting with 16-20 PPG while maintaining his efficiency.

As for NY being unwilling to trade him, NY had a bunch of small guards. McBride, Quick, Brunson, so they didn't want to move Grimes as their only guard with some size. They also believed in him and his outside shooting and he was just in his 2nd year at the time, so he was one guy who was off-limits in the D. Mitchell talks, but NY was offering Obi, Quick, RJ, Mitch, maybe Randall and picks, but Utah was asking for the Moon and the trade never happened.

NY felt that Grimes fit their needs too much to be included, especially adding Donovan and having 2 short guards. He was their only 6'5 guard and a good 3 pt shooter so they made it clear that he was off limits. Not your normal "untouchable", but it had to do more with the roster than Grimes being a stud.

with today's NBA salary rules, it makes sense to decide who you want to pay and who you don't. NYK, for example, decided they didn't want to pay Immanual Quickley as a free agent, so they moved him & RJ for OG Anunoby. OG's a great player, but injury prone, so how that works out long term remains to be seen. But that was a salary decision as much as anything. Better to invest in OG than RJ & Quick for a few years. RJ's contract isn''t bad, but he wasn't good for NY. Quick is overpaid

I think Dallas decided they didn't want to pay Grimes for the next few years, so they moved him. A bad move if their goal was to win this season, which is what they said when they landed Davis, so, that's strange, unless they're not in it to win it this year. An understandable move long term if they didn't think Grimes deserved a chunk of their cap space. Depending on what kind of contract offers he gets next off-season.

[Toine85]

Wasn't it just a couple of years ago Grimes was "untouchable" in trade scenarios with the Knicks?

Yep for a chance at Donovan Mitchell lol

Here's Woj with the specifics: "Utah wanted RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes and three first-round picks from New York. That would have been two unprotected and perhaps a protected -- up to top-five protected pick. ... But, the Knicks did not want to put Grimes in a deal. They were willing to do Immanuel Quickley...And that was the end."

Basically Utah wanted the player who ended up worse, so not a smart choice on their end.

The Knicks essentially built out their roster instead of trading for Donovan Mitchell.

Knicks traded RJ, Quickley, and a 2nd for OG, Precious and a salary filler (Malachi Flynn).
Knicks then traded Grimes, two 2nds, and three salary fillers (Fournier, Malachi Flynn, Ryan Arcidiacono) for Alec Burks, Bojan Bogdanovic.
Knicks then traded Bogdanovic, five 1sts plus a swap, a 2nd, and two salary fillers (Mamadi Diakite, Shake Milton) for Mikal Bridges, a salary filler (Keita Bates-Diop who was used in the KAT deal) and a 2nd.


It boils down choosing between these two options:

(1) OG, Bridges, Precious

OR

(2) Donovan, Quickley, two 1sts, a swap, three 2nds.

I think value-wise, the 2nd option is better, but not necessarily fit/chemistry wise for the Knicks.