Mavericks still paying the price for last season's disastrous trade deadline gamble

Caleb Martin checked into the game for the Dallas Mavericks with 4:04 remaining in the fourth quarter on Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs, and this was the only time he touched the floor in the season opener. He played for four minutes, finishing with a rebound, an assist, and a turnover, and Dallas' decision to trade Quentin Grimes for him is looking worse by the day.

The fact that Martin can't even get rotation minutes is deeply concerning, especially with their need for more point-of-attack defense, and the high value that Dallas placed upon him at last season's trade deadline is not looking great. Nico Harrison valued Martin more than he did Grimes, as shown by Dallas sending Philadelphia a high second-round pick as part of the deal, and this trade may never swing in the Mavericks' direction if Martin can't even break the rotation.

Harrison expected Martin to become the Mavs' best perimeter defender after they traded for him, and while he has shown flashes on that end when given the opportunity, his offensive game has been far too shaky to give him consistent playing time.

Caleb Martin isn't even in the Mavericks' rotation

Especially considering how bad the Mavericks' offense looked against San Antonio. Their lack of on-ball creation was evident against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, and this doesn't make matters better for Martin, considering that his offensive game mostly depends on others creating an open shot for him or him attacking off an advantage.

Grimes, on the other hand, started his first full season with the Philadelphia 76ers on a high note, as he finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists, all while being a +16 in 32 minutes of action. Grimes, being a +32 despite the Sixers only beating the Boston Celtics by one point in their first game, shows his extremely high value that he brings on both ends off the bench, and he is likely gearing up for another big year.

Dallas' trade for Martin has truly blown up in their face, and if he remains out of the regular rotation for the entire year, it'll look even worse. The Mavericks gave up good value to bring in Martin, and if Dallas' game against San Antonio was close, he likely wouldn't have touched the floor.

If Grimes takes another step in his development while Martin regresses, the Mavs' Luka Doncic trade isn't the only one that will have the fan base up in arms. It also must be remembered that Martin missed the entire preseason and most of training camp with an undisclosed injury, and it may take him some time to ramp up and at 100 percent.

Injuries were not Martin's friend in Dallas, as he was out for his month with the Mavs with a hip injury, and he also must stay healthy to help him have a shot at breaking Jason Kidd's rotation. Kyrie Irving's return could help as well, as Martin is at his best when playing next to a notable on-ball creator, and they'll need more defense once they have a true point guard running the show.