‘The ultimate role player’: Get to know new Sixers forward Caleb Martin through the eyes of a Heat beat writer
As the offseason slows down, The Inquirer reaches out to reporters with insight on the Sixers’ newcomers.
The 76ers’ busy offseason is slowing down. They pulled off the NBA’s splashiest free-agency move, luring perennial All-Star forward Paul George away from his hometown Los Angeles Clippers on a max contract. They also added important complementary players — and brought back key members of the 2023-24 team — in hopes of contending for a championship.
With the roster nearly set, The Inquirer reached out to reporters with insight on the Sixers’ newcomers.
Next up is Anthony Chiang, who covered new Sixers signee Caleb Martin as a Heat beat writer for the Miami Herald.
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Q: How surprised were you by the way Martin’s contract situation unfolded, from turning down a deal with Miami and entering free agency to needing to take less money with the Sixers?
A: I was pretty surprised, because I knew that Caleb Martin’s preference was to stay with the Heat. But the Heat’s offer was made before the June 30 start of free agency, since it was in the form of an extension that would have required him to exercise the player option for this upcoming season. But Martin opted not to take the Heat’s offer, betting that there would be more money on the open market in free agency.
To be fair, while the Heat offer would have paid Martin $65 million over the next five seasons, many believed he would receive more than that in free agency. ESPN’s Bobby Marks projected Martin to receive the full $12.9 million nontaxpayer midlevel exception this offseason. But that money just wasn’t there for Martin in free agency and he opted to take a smaller deal for the opportunity to play a big role for a championship contender in Philadelphia.
Q: What about Martin’s game allows him to fill the gaps while playing off stars? Are there specific parts of his skill set that you envision meshing particularly well with the Embiid-Maxey-George trio?
A: Martin can be the ultimate role player because he can play with the ball in his hands if needed, or he can find a way to make a big impact without touching the ball much. That’s because Martin can play as a spot-up shooter and cutter on the offensive end while also serving as a quality perimeter defender on the other side of the court. That skill set will fit well in a supporting role alongside the Embiid-Maxey-George trio.
Q: Martin is expected to be the Sixers’ starting power forward, where he will be undersized at 6-foot-5. How has he made up for that in the past?
A: Martin is definitely undersized for the power forward spot, but he has experience in that role after playing as a four for extended stretches with the Heat during the last two seasons. While certain matchups will give Martin trouble because of his size, he can negate his size disadvantage in most games through the effort and physicality that he plays with. Martin also helps space the floor as a stretch four with his three-point shooting.
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Q: How do you explain the spike in his playoff numbers, especially while facing the Celtics?
A: The 2023 Eastern Conference finals was the best version of Martin. The Celtics’ scouting report on Martin was to leave him open from three-point range, and he made them pay. Martin shot an ultra-efficient 60.2% from the field and 22-of -45 (48.9%) on threes in that series to finish just one vote away from being named the 2023 East finals MVP. Martin already does so much on the court, but if he’s making threes at that rate, then he goes from a role player helping in the margins to a star-level player.
Q: How would you describe Martin as a teammate and locker-room presence? More specifically, what was his relationship like with Kyle Lowry, whom he will reunite with in Philly?
A: Martin is a connector in the locker room who gets along with pretty much every type of personality. From stars like Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler to a developmental player like Orlando Robinson, Martin had a good relationship with essentially everybody on the Heat’s roster. Martin appears quiet, but he’ll use his voice when needed and is an asset as a teammate and locker-room presence.