When the Philadelphia 76ers pulled the trigger on the trade that sent Caleb Martin packing in exchange for Quentin Grimes, it looked like a savvy move-one that had Daryl Morey’s fingerprints all over it. At the time, Grimes was a rising 3-and-D wing with upside, and Martin, despite his playoff pedigree, had been inconsistent and expendable. Fast forward to now, and that once-praised deal is starting to show some cracks.
Let’s start with Caleb Martin. Since landing in Dallas, he didn’t exactly turn heads out of the gate.
But lately, he’s been carving out a meaningful role in the Mavericks’ rotation. His minutes are up, and with that, so is his confidence.
He’s not lighting up the box score, but he’s doing the little things-defending, cutting, hitting timely shots-that made him such a valuable piece during Miami’s deep postseason runs. On a reasonable contract, Martin is quietly reestablishing himself as a reliable role player in the West, even if the Mavs aren’t exactly making noise in the standings.
Meanwhile, things haven’t gone quite as planned for Quentin Grimes in Philly. After a promising start to the season-where he looked like he could be a key floor spacer and perimeter defender alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey-Grimes has hit a wall.
Since December, his production has dipped significantly. The shooting stroke that once looked smooth now appears hesitant.
The defensive impact? Inconsistent at best.
And with free agency looming, the Sixers are facing a tough decision.
Right now, it’s hard to imagine another team lining up to trade for Grimes before the deadline unless he’s part of a larger package, possibly just to make salaries work. His value as a standalone asset has taken a hit, and unless he turns things around quickly, he’s trending toward being a short-term rental with little long-term appeal.
That puts Philly in a bind. If Grimes doesn’t rebound soon, the front office may not see enough value to justify a new contract-especially not the kind of deal his camp is reportedly seeking. Unless he’s willing to take a team-friendly number, this could be a one-and-done stint in Philadelphia.
And here’s where things really start to tilt: Caleb Martin’s resurgence, paired with Grimes’ struggles, makes the trade look a lot more even than it once did-maybe even a net loss for the Sixers. Add in the fact that Johni Broome, the rookie Philly selected with the pick acquired in the same deal, has barely seen the floor, and the return on investment starts to shrink.
The Sixers still have time to flip the script. If Grimes can find his rhythm and become the two-way threat they envisioned-someone who can defend wings, knock down open threes, and play with energy-then the trade could still pay off. But right now, the trajectory isn’t encouraging.
This is the kind of midseason reality check that front offices hate but have to deal with. What looked like a shrewd move on paper is now a wait-and-see gamble. And unless Grimes starts showing flashes of the player Philly thought they were getting, the Sixers might have to accept that they didn’t win this trade-they just made it.