Latest trade could signal an impending blockbuster deal for the 76ers.
The 76ers definitely pulled the trigger on this one with something bigger in mind.
Right when the Philadelphia 76ers were about to clash with the new-look Dallas Mavericks at home, the hosts made sure that their visitors will leave the city with something, win or lose. After all, they just pulled off a trade with their newest guests.
In an unprecedented move (at least regarding the destination), the 76ers have traded veteran forward Caleb Martin to the Mavericks for a package including young wing Quentin Grimes and a 2025 second-round pick, which was actually originally theirs.
The 76ers go young in the process with the 24-year-old Grimes replacing Martin. The front office also gets another toy to play with by recouping their second-round pick this year in what is expected to be a pretty deep and talented draft class. Clearly, there are a lot of things to like for Philadelphia in this move.
Having said that, this could very well be a precursor to an even bigger one.
Caleb Martin trade could be a precursor to a massive blockbuster deal for the 76ers
While shipping Martin elsewhere should not really surprise nor faze anyone here, the timing is definitely a bit suspect. The veteran, while slowed down by a terrible start, was already playing much better basketball for a good while now, making this deal somewhat abrupt.
The 76ers could have simply kept Martin and asked more from other buyers for his services, but they did not. Instead, they seemingly prioritized freeing up more cap space, especially with Grimes making much less.
This, however, could very well signal that something bigger is in the cards for the 76ers. The front office parting with a useful player for their playoff bid this season and their succeeding campaigns in the upcoming seasons could be a precursor to the team potentially being in play for a wild change-up before the deadline.
At this rate, this could be interpreted as Philly being more amenable than before to the idea of emptying the house. The 76ers do have a slew of veterans they could — and should — flip before the deadline, and going by the stream of rumors as of late, they could even sneak their way into becoming the subject of a blockbuster deal.
From Paul George to Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers could literally trade anyone and the league would not be surprised. After the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade madness, nothing will faze anyone anymore.
