Mavericks' Caleb Martin trade just keeps getting worse after latest draft pick

The Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Draft by all accounts, as they got the opportunity to select Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall, and there's no greater possible asset that any team is pulling away from in this draft. However, fans must remember the Mavericks traded the Philadelphia 76ers' second-round pick back to them in the Caleb Martin-Quentin Grimes swap, and this move is looking even worse after the 76ers' recent selection at No. 35.

While Grimes went on to play at a near All-Star level for the 76ers as a 3-and-D guard, Martin disappointed for the Mavericks in just 14 games last season after coming off a hip strain. Martin looked shaky and hesitant offensively at times to end the season for the Mavericks, as he averaged just 5.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game with shooting splits of 38.9/25.0/62.5.

While there's maybe a chance Martin reclaims some of his offensive prowess next season, this trade has been disastrous thus far and it's going to be even worse now that Philadelphia was able to select Auburn University forward Johni Broome at No. 35, as the Mavericks could've picked there instead had they not made the Grimes trade.

Mavericks' Martin-Grimes trade gets worse after 76ers pick Broome

To make matters worse, the Mavericks would've been able to select Flagg's fellow Duke teammate Tyrese Proctor at this spot, as he was still available at No. 35 and the Mavericks could've killed two birds with one stone by getting a young guard to add to their rotation as well as someone Flagg is already comfortable with.

Dallas' Luka Doncic trade will forever be the storyline of last season, but their Martin-Grimes swap may be even worse on paper, considering how Philadelphia got Broome at No. 35 as well as how Grimes wanted to stay in Dallas and was playing well for them pre-trade. Broome is a savvy offensive big man who is a great rebounder, passer, and has a great back-to-the-basket game, and while he wouldn't of necessarily been a great fit in Dallas, he goes into a great situation in Philadelphia where they desperately need backup big men to help with Joel Embiid's recurring injuries.

If Broome pans out to be a rotation-caliber big man, even if he has some defensive shortcomings and is an older prospect coming into the league, that will only make Dallas' Martin trade that much worse. Even if one is of the belief that the Mavericks shouldn't have extended the possible financial resources to re-sign Grimes this summer, as he would've been a restricted free agent, the Mavericks letting Grimes just walk to Philadelphia would've been an even better outcome than this.

Dallas not only received the far worse of the two players in the Martin trade, but they also gave up the opportunity to select Flagg's teammate in Proctor and could be judged harshly by the national media if Broome makes anything of his NBA career. While Flagg places Dallas atop the draft for now, they could've had an even better draft if Nico Harrison didn't relinquish the 35th pick to the 76ers, and it's even worse that Harrison included this capital to ensure the deal got done.