Caleb Martin Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Heat Promote Caleb Martin To 15-Man Roster

February 15th, 2022 at 1:08pm CST by Luke Adams

1:08pm: Martin’s new deal is official, the Heat confirmed in a press release.

11:23am: The Heat are signing forward Caleb Martin to a standard contract, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Martin had spent the 2021/22 season up until this point on a two-way deal, but wouldn’t be playoff-eligible without a promotion to the 15-man roster.

Charania says the Heat are signing the 26-year-old for “the remainder of the season,” suggesting there will be no additional years tacked onto his new contract, and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald confirms (via Twitter) it’s a rest-of-season, minimum-salary deal. That means Martin will be eligible for restricted free agency at season’s end.

Martin, who spent his first two NBA seasons in Charlotte, signed a two-way deal with the Heat in September and has emerged as a reliable rotation player for the club. In 44 games (22.9 MPG), he has averaged 9.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 1.0 SPG on .506/.379/.739 shooting.

It has been a foregone conclusion for much of the season that Martin would eventually be promoted to the standard roster, but Miami’s proximity to the luxury tax line has delayed the move. After trading KZ Okpala to Oklahoma City last week, the Heat have more breathing room below the tax threshold, creating a path for Martin’s promotion.

Once Martin’s new deal is official, the Heat will have a full 15-man roster, at least for the time being. The team entered the week with two 15-man roster openings, but signed Haywood Highsmith to a 10-day contract. Martin’s promotion will open up a two-way contract slot for Miami.

Heat Notes: Martin, Spoelstra, Adebayo, Trade Deadline

February 6th, 2022 at 5:31pm CST by JD Shaw

Heat swingman Caleb Martin and Hornets swingman Cody Martin are flourishing on their own this season, Mark Schindler of BasketballNews.com writes. The brothers, who are playing on separate teams for the first time, met on Saturday night when their clubs faced each other in Charlotte.

“The Heat gave [Caleb] an opportunity and I don’t think he’s looked back since… his mindset, what he brings to them and the dynamic he brings to them, and just how hard he works. That’s the culture there. So, I think he’s fitting right in.” Cody said.

Caleb (two-way contract) has averaged 9.3 points per game on 50% shooting. His brother, in turn, is playing a career-high 27.2 minutes per game this season in Charlotte, averaging eight points on 41% from deep.

Here are some other notes from out of Miami:

Head coach Erik Spoelstra and his staff will coach Team Durant in the All-Star Game this year, as relayed by the club’s social media team (Twitter link). The Bulls lost to the Sixers on Sunday, giving Miami the best record in the East. According to the All-Star rules, the team with the best conference record on February 6 gets the coaching nod for their respective side.
Bam Adebayo fought through his difficulties and continued to shoot on Saturday, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. Adebayo often becomes passive when he struggles to make shots, but he changed his approach and stayed aggressive throughout the game. “That has been one of the biggest downfalls in my career, [where] I’ll stop shooting,” he explained. “It was one of those games where shots were short and looked like it going in and it doesn’t. I had a lot of in and outs. [But] teammates kept finding me.” Adebayo attempted 21 shots in the game, the most since March of 2021.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examines whether the team can afford to sit through the trade deadline. As we relayed, the playing status of veteran forward Markieff Morris (neck) is now uncertain, so the Heat could explore the trade market for another power forward.

Heat Notes: Martin, Spoelstra, Yurtseven, Oladipo

January 30th, 2022 at 4:21pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Heat swingman Caleb Martin has played so well during the 2021/22 NBA season that it makes the fact he was snagged on merely a two-way deal this summer somewhat miraculous. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald assesses how the Miami front office stole yet another gem during the offseason.

“Honestly, I wasn’t too surprised just based on my numbers from Charlotte,” Martin said of his joining the Heat after his Hornets tenure ended with the team waiving him. “I really don’t blame anybody for not picking me up off waivers. But it’s my job to continue to prove to people that I’m more than that.”

Martin is averaging career-highs of 9.3 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG, in a career-23.1 MPG, on .505/.374/.734 shooting. Chiang hails Martin as a crucial 3-and-D wing reserve.

Because he has also emerged as a consistent outside shooting threat, Martin is being covered more along the three-point line, which in turn allows him to blow past defenders for more inside scoring. Chiang notes that the Heat will have to convert Martin’s two-way contract into a standard deal prior to the postseason so that he can keep contributing on both ends for Miami during the playoffs.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, the second-longest-tenured head coach in the NBA, has been his typically inventive self this season, working his magic to make the 32-18 Miami the top seed in the East, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Spoelstra has found ways to maximize new addition P.J. Tucker as well as bench players like Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, Dewayne Dedmon and the aforementioned Martin.
Heat reserve center Omer Yurtseven has entered the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Chiang adds that starting point guard Kyle Lowry (personal reasons), Markieff Morris (neck injury) and KZ Okpala (sprained right wrist) will also not be traveling with the club for the start of its upcoming road trip today.
Heat shooting guard Victor Oladipo, a former two-time All-Star with the Pacers, is traveling with Miami on the team’s road trip, Chiang tweets. Though Oladipo remains out for now, the fact that he is with his teammates would appear to indicate that he is closer to suiting up once again. Oladipo is recovering from a surgery he underwent in May to repair his right quadriceps tendon.

Southeast Notes: Robinson, Hawks, Martin, Gafford

January 23rd, 2022 at 5:29pm CST by JD Shaw

The Heat are encouraging Duncan Robinson to stay confident despite his three-point shooting declining this season, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. Robinson is shooting just 35% from deep on 8.5 attempts this season, down from 41% on 8.5 attempts last season.

“People panic every time he doesn’t have an amazing game, he doesn’t make every shot,” teammate Tyler Herro said of Robinson. “But the thing about Duncan is he comes in every day with the same attitude, whether he has 26 or if he has five points.

“He’s going to come in no matter what the next day and he’s going to treat every day the same. Get his work in and just continue to go about his business how he does. That’s what I really respect about him.”

Robinson is in the first season of a five-year, $90MM deal signed with Miami last offseason. His impact goes beyond his scoring. Since he’s shot over 40% from deep these past two seasons, teams still honor him as a serious threat behind-the-arc, opening driving lanes for other players on the Heat.

Here are some other notes from the Southeast Division:

Chris Kirschner and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic project the Hawks‘ future, examining whether anyone should be considered untouchable. In part two of their series, Kirschner and Vecenie explored the possibility of Atlanta acquiring Ben Simmons, along with some other possible trade targets. The Hawks, who have dealt with several injuries on the season, currently rank 12th in the East at 20-25.
The Heat may struggle to retain Caleb Martin in free agency, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel explains. Martin is currently on a two-way contract with Miami, averaging 9.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 23.1 minutes per game. He’s also shot 52% from the floor and 37% from three-point range. In order to make him eligible for the playoffs, the team will have to convert Martin from his two-way deal.
Wizards center Daniel Gafford has seen his playing time decrease in recent games, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington writes. The return of Thomas Bryant has resulted in a minutes decline for Gafford, who signed a three-year, $40MM extension with the Wizards last October.

Heat Notes: Yurtseven, Strus, Martin, Guy, Chalmers

January 9th, 2022 at 9:06am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat not only won in Phoenix Saturday night against a Suns team with the league’s best record, they did it with a starting lineup that included Max Strus, Caleb Martin and Omer Yurtseven, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. That trio makes up part of Hollinger’s “Dog Days Heroes,” recognizing under-the-radar players who have excelled in December and January.

Yurtseven signed with Miami in the final week of last season after a strong showing in the G League. He was the third center on the depth chart when the season began, but the Heat’s injuries and COVID-19 absences have given him an unexpected workload. He has responded by ranking second in the league in with a 23.8 rebound rate, along with a 4.1% block rate.

Strus, who spent most of last season recovering from a torn ACL, is shooting 41.8% from three-point range. He has also doubled his rebound rate this year and has improved on defense. Martin, who signed a two-way contract after the Hornets waived him in the offseason, has become a defensive presence in Miami and is getting points in transition. Hollinger expects him to get a standard deal later in the season when the Heat have enough room under the luxury tax to fill their final roster spot.

There’s more from Miami:

Kyle Guy has been outstanding, but the Heat don’t appear to have a roster spot for him after his 10-day hardship contract expired Saturday night, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Guy averaged 9.8 PPG in five games and shot 45% from three-point range. However, the open roster spot is likely being saved for Martin, and the Heat like the potential of Marcus Garrett, who holds the other two-way slot. A second 10-day deal for Guy may be unlikely because Garrett is the last Miami player in the protocols and he’s expected to be cleared soon. “I’m grateful for the opportunity and making the most of it,” Guy said Friday. “So they’ll tell me when they think they need to tell me. Whether that’s at the end of the 10-day or today or tomorrow, I don’t know. So we’ll see. But I have no idea.”
Veteran guard Mario Chalmers will see his 10-day hardship contract expire today, Chiang adds. He’s not ready to give up on playing yet, but he’s considering a future in coaching. “My mom was a coach, my dad was a coach, so I’ve been around coaches all my life,” Chalmers said. “It’s just something that I love the game of basketball so much that I’ll always want to be around it.”
The Heat are in a strong position as the February 10 trade deadline approaches and shouldn’t feel any desperation to make a deal, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.

Heat Notes: Martin, Knight, Okpala, Yurtseven

December 24th, 2021 at 8:25am CST by Luke Adams

Heat two-way forward Caleb Martin, who had been in the health and safety protocols since December 11, was back with the team on Thursday night, seated behind the bench, as Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets.

A short-ramp up period may be necessary for Martin, who will have to pass cardiac tests before being cleared to return to the court. But it’s good news for both him and the Heat that he’s no longer quarantining and appears to be on the verge of reentering the rotation.

While Miami has had to deal with several injuries in recent weeks, Martin is the only player the team has had to place in the COVID-19 protocols so far this month.

Here’s more on the Heat:

The new roster rules that eliminate the 50-game limit for players on two-way contracts is welcome news for the Heat, since Martin has been among the NBA’s most productive two-way players so far this season and has already appeared in 23 games. However, as Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald write, the Heat still may have to make a decision on Martin later in the season, since two-way players remain ineligible for the playoffs. The team has an open spot on its 15-man roster for now, but figures to explore the buyout market in February.
Head coach Erik Spoelstra confirmed to reporters on Thursday that the Heat couldn’t have signed Brandon Knight via a hardship exception when Martin was in the protocols, since a replacement for a two-way player can’t have more than three years of NBA service (Twitter link via Chiang). Knight had been playing for Miami’s G League affiliate, but was called up by Dallas while the Heat signed forward Zylan Cheatham to a 10-day deal.
Although the Heat would obviously prefer to have a fully healthy roster, the silver lining is that little-used players like KZ Okpala and Omer Yurtseven are gaining valuable experience by being thrust into rotation roles, Chiang writes for The Miami Herald. “I know it’s a tough time of the season right now,” Udonis Haslem said. “We got a lot of injuries, but we’re banking a lot of equity right now with our younger guys getting experience. I think when we get back healthy, it’s only going to help us.”

Heat’s Caleb Martin Enters Health And Safety Protocols

December 11th, 2021 at 6:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat small forward Caleb Martin has been placed in the league’s health and safety protocols, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel.

Martin has been a valuable contributor off the bench in his first season with Miami, averaging a career-best 7.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in 23 games. He signed a two-way contract in September after being waived by Charlotte, where he spent his first two NBA seasons.

Martin is the first Heat player to enter the protocols, while tonight’s opponent, Chicago, is now up to seven. COVID-19 cases have sidelined several players and coaches around the league this week, with Martin being the fourth one announced today.

“I don’t even think I can make a rational comment on this right now,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said when asked about the COVID situation. “I literally was just informed of this within the last 10 minutes. So we just need to wait for a little bit more direction from the league, which they will give us some direction.” (Twitter link)

If Martin has tested positive for the virus, he will miss a minimum of 10 days unless he returns two consecutive negative tests more than 24 hours apart.

Heat Notes: Robinson, Martin, Dedmon, Okpala

December 11th, 2021 at 1:15pm CST by JD Shaw

Despite his shooting percentages decreasing so far this season, Heat swingman Duncan Robinson is still vital to the team’s offensive gameplan, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

As Chiang notes, Robinson has made just 33% of his threes, but his impact goes far beyond the accuracy. Since he shot 45% in 2019/20 and 41% in 2020/21, teams fear his ability to hit outside shots, which opens up driving lanes and spreads the floor for other players.

“He doesn’t have to make shots,” teammate Max Strus explained. “Obviously, he wants to shoot better. But just him being on the floor spaces the floor so much for us because guys aren’t going to help off of him.

“He has the reputation, everybody knows how good of a shooter he is. So guys aren’t going to help. He opens up so much floor space and when he’s in actions as a trigger, he creates so much for our offense because guys overreact to everything. He’s really valuable out on the floor at all times.”

In addition to his ability to spread the floor, Robinson’s durability has been commended by Heat officials. According to Chiang, the forward is on track to play in his 174th consecutive game on Saturday against Chicago, which would tie a franchise record set by Glen Rice in 1994.

Here are some other notes out of Miami:

Caleb Martin is proving to be a “slam dunk” bargain, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinal writes. Martin has been one of the league’s best players on a two-way contract this season. Most recently, he pitched in 28 points, eight rebounds and two blocks during the team’s 113-104 win over Milwaukee on Wednesday.
In a separate article for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman examines whether the Heat are getting enough out of backup center Dewayne Dedmon. The 32-year-old has been starting in place of Bam Adebayo (torn UCL). In 26 games, he’s averaged 5.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 15.6 minutes.
KZ Okpala impressed coaches and teammates alike with his performance against the Bucks, Chiang writes for the Miami Herald. Okpala recorded 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench, allowing Miami to play small with P.J. Tucker at center for various parts of the game.

Southeast Notes: Reddish, Bogdanovic, Okongwu, Hornets, Sabonis, Martin

December 9th, 2021 at 4:39pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hawks forward Cam Reddish, who is recovering from a wrist injury, went through a full practice on Thursday, according to coach Nate McMillan. Reddish did some shooting and participated in drills at 75% speed. He’s listed as probable to play on Friday.

Bogdan Bogdanovic still needs more time to return from his ankle injury, Sarah Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports in a series of tweets. “Bogi’s not doing anything other than shooting. He looks better,” McMillan said. “He’s up on his feet and he’s moving around.”

Second-year big man Onyeka Okongwu is continuing his rehab assignment from shoulder surgery. He’s with the G League College Park Skyhawks and is expected to play on Thursday.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

There’s been no change regarding the Hornets‘ COVID-19 issues. LaMelo Ball, Jalen McDaniels, Mason Plumlee, Terry Rozier and Ish Smith are all listed as out for Friday’s game against Sacramento due to the league’s health and safety protocols, the team’s PR department tweets. Charlotte’s depleted roster has managed to beat Atlanta and lose two close games to Philadelphia since those players were sidelined over the weekend.
With a recent report claiming that the Pacers may shake up their roster, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington examines whether Domantas Sabonis should be a trade target for the Wizards. Hughes notes that Rui Hachimura and Thomas Bryant are expected to return soon and the front office would like to see how they fit with their revamped roster. Hughes adds that the club already has the look of a playoff team and the addition of Sabonis may not move the needle all that much.
Caleb Martin may eventually have his two-way contract converted to a standard deal by the Heat but there are luxury tax concerns, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes. Martin has been active for 24 of the Heat’s 26 games and can only be active for 50 games under two-way rules. If he remained on the active roster for every game, he’d be able to play until nearly the end of January. But the Heat would have to wait a couple of weeks after that to convert his contract in order to avoid surpassing the tax threshold.

Southeast Notes: C. Martin, Hachimura, Suggs, Hawks

November 25th, 2021 at 4:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Heat forward Caleb Martin has emerged as a regular rotation player this month, but his two-way contract could complicate his role as the season progresses, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Two-way players can only be active for 50 of 82 games — Martin has been active for 17 of Miami’s first 19 contests, so if the club continues to use him regularly, he could reach his limit prior to the All-Star break. The easiest way to avoid that scenario would be to promote Martin to the 15-man roster, but the Heat aren’t filling their lone opening yet due to luxury tax concerns. As Winderman notes, Martin said this week that it’d be great to earn a standard contract, but that he’s not concerned about it yet.

“I haven’t really thought that far ahead,” Martin said. “I’ll leave that up to them. For them, that’s really on them to decide when they need me or when not. … Obviously that standard contract is what anybody who comes in on this situation works toward.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Wizards forward Rui Hachimura, whose debut this season has been delayed due to a personal absence, still isn’t quite ready to return to action. According to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post (Twitter link), Hachimura didn’t accompany the team on its current four-game road trip, which runs through Monday.
Magic guard Jalen Suggs has struggled a little early in his rookie season, but after putting up 17 points and six assists in a loss to Charlotte on Wednesday, the first-year guard said he’s feeling more “comfortable and confident,” as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel details. “These past four or five games I’ve felt I’ve kind of turned the corner [from] trying to get adjusted, trying to get my feet wet, because it’s just a completely different situation to now,” Suggs said.
Chris Kirschner and John Hollinger of The Athletic teamed up to discuss whether the Hawks make sense as a potential Ben Simmons suitor and how much urgency the team should feel to make a major consolidation trade. Kirschner doesn’t believe Atlanta needs to make a big in-season move, but thinks the team should seriously consider it during the 2022 offseason, a year before De’Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish are eligible for restricted free agency.