Mavericks' newest trade acquisition breaks silence on lengthy injury return

The Dallas Mavericks were one of the busiest teams in the league at the trade deadline earlier this month, and it was clear that they were one of the most active teams in the league long before the trade deadline arrived. Dallas has been known for being aggressive at the trade deadline, and their eagerness reached new heights this season.

Dallas ended up trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, and they followed that move up by trading Quentin Grimes to the Philadelphia 76ers for Caleb Martin. Both moves could end up pushing Dallas into a respectable playoff spot depending on when they return to the hardwood, as both players are dealing with injuries.

Both Davis and Martin were dealing with injuries when the Mavericks traded for them as well, and while both of their potential return dates are cloudy, Martin gave some insight about the injury for the first time since the introductory press conference. Martin has been out since early January with this right hip strain, causing him to miss the last 18 games, but the days of him missing games due to this injury could be coming soon.

Caleb Martin's Mavericks debut could be sooner than expected

In the press conference on February 7 alongside Davis and Max Christie, Martin was optimistic as he said the hip injury was "feeling a lot better" and that he was "progressing really well," but this progress didn't lead to him making his Mavericks debut before the All-Star break. Martin assumed that he would be "coming back fairly quickly," and he made his first statement about his injury since the press conference on Monday via his Instagram story.

Martin said "almost back to it" along with a picture of him holding up his Mavericks jersey at his introductory press conference, and this is undoubtedly a good sign when it comes to when he will make his debut for his new team. Dallas' next game is on Friday night at home against the New Orleans Pelicans, and while it remains unknown if he will suit up for that game, it is known that his return to the floor is on the horizon.

Dallas' depth has been in shambles recently due to all of the injuries that they are dealing with, and Martin's addition to the lineup has been highly anticipated for weeks. He will likely be one of the first players off the bench once he gets healthy, and he will provide some much-needed wing depth behind P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Klay Thompson, and Max Christie.

With how injured Dallas' lineup is right now, Martin will likely have a huge role right away. The Mavericks have no centers healthy outside of Kylor Kelley, meaning that Washington will likely start at center once he returns. That only leaves Christie, Marshall, and Thompson as players who Martin will be competing for minutes with, and his versatility will undoubtedly help this group.

This season, Martin is averaging 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from downtown. Martin gives Dallas another reliable 3-point shooter, but his performance on the other end can't be overlooked either.

Martin is only 6-foot-5, but his 6-foot-10 wingspan along with his energy and hustle make him a defensive menace. He can easily guard multiple positions and put up a fight against some of the best wings in the NBA, and his ability to guard up will likely be utilized with so many of Dallas' bigs out.

Martin's ability to step up in big moments has been well-documented over the course of his career, and Mavericks fans will be hoping that he can help propel the team to the playoffs, where he is known for taking his play to the next level. He averaged 12.7 points per game in the Miami Heat's 2023 playoff run, and he could bring some magical moments to the American Airlines Center in the postseason this time around if the team is able to go on a strong end-of-season run.