Injured 76ers Veteran Offers Update Before Mavericks Matchup

Could Caleb Martin face the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday?
Jan 1, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) during the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) during the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Caleb Martin is among several Philadelphia 76ers who haven’t been able to get on the floor lately.

Throughout the year, Martin has battled with multiple setbacks, with his latest taking him out of the game for a few weeks so far.

Just how long will the trend continue? Maybe it ends this week.

According to the official NBA injury report, the Sixers upgraded Martin for their Tuesday night matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.

While that’s not a sure sign he’ll play—as Martin has seen his status upgraded during this stretch only to be ruled out—the Sixers can still be hopeful.

"I’m progressing well," Martin told reporters after a Monday practice session, according to Sixers Wire.

"It’s been a little bit longer than anticipated, but it's doing a lot better. I've been just trying to stay on my stuff and progressing each day. So it's definitely getting better. Today was a better day, and I feel like I'm definitely heading toward the right direction for sure."

Earlier in the year, Martin’s shoulder bothered him to the point where it was hard not to notice. Still, he received a lot of credit for pushing through it during a season where the Sixers have struggled to find consistency in the availability department.

Caleb Marti
Jan 10, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Caleb Martin (16) passes the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The current setback is described as a right hip sprain, according to the injury report. While Martin is typically known to play through injuries, he opted to take a different approach this time around, suggesting he would’ve been a “liability” on the court with a lack of mobility.

“I’ve typically played through a lot of stuff, and it's just one of those things that I just couldn’t, so I'm glad I've been doing rehab and making progress these days, so hopefully, I’ll be making a return soon,” Martin added, via Sixers Wire.

If Martin doesn’t get the nod to play on Tuesday, it will mark his 13th absence in a row. The last time he took the court was against the New Orleans Pelicans at home on January 10.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA