CAMDEN, N.J. — Although the Philadelphia 76ers addition of Caleb Martin is not as big in magnitude as the Paul George signing, it accentuates that splash and everything the Sixers have going. It takes more than just stars uplifting those around them to win at a high level in the NBA; those around the stars must help them, too. That’s where Martin shines.
Daryl Morey, the Sixers' president of basketball operations, called Martin a “battle-tested performer who has elevated his game when his teams have needed it most” in the team's official announcement. After three seasons as a key player on the Miami Heat, the 28-year-old Martin is set up to be one of the most important fixtures of Philly’s supporting cast.
Adding to the intrigue of the 76ers signing Martin to a four-year, $32 million deal is the fact that he signed for much less than the Heat offered him. The team that had developed Martin into a high-quality role player after scooping him up from the Charlotte Hornets wanted Martin to opt into his $7 million player option and then would have signed him to an extension worth $65 million over the next five years. Martin bet on himself but couldn’t find a deal as lucrative as that one.
A believer that everything happens for a reason and that life is about taking risks that both do and don’t work out, Martin isn’t letting the money he left on the table weigh him down.
“Just certain things didn’t work,” Martin said of his departure from the Heat. “There’s a lot of things behind the scenes that went on. Ultimately, there was a lot in making that decision and there’s a lot that contributed to how everything went. But, past is past. Can't do nothing about that and, like I said, I’m looking forward to being here and being a part of Philly and trying to bring everything I can in order to try to win a championship. That’s my main focus now.”
With his twin brother Cody Martin at the 76ers' practice facility with him, Caleb discussed his excitement to join the Sixers, where he is expected to be a starter. He reflected on his previous matchups against the Sixers, particularly those in Philly.
“The last time I was here, I think I gave the fans some chicken,” Martin said, referring to the time he triggered Chick-fil-A's Bricken for Chicken promotion by missing two free throws in the play-in game. The intensity from Sixers fans isn’t quite the same as the Heat's military-level strictness but being accustomed to the taste of impassioned scrutiny makes him excited to play for Philadelphia.
“They’ll let you hear it whenever you playing bad, too,” Martin said. “I like to think that type of pressure is good for you. So, I’m excited.”
Caleb Martin brings two-way impact, playoff experience to 76ers
Not only is Caleb Martin someone who made it further than Philly has in the playoffs, but he's also seen as someone who takes his game up a level in the playoffs. He made a name for himself with the Heat by nearly winning the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, coming one vote short of the award that went to Jimmy Butler. Martin averaged 19.3 points per game while shooting 60.2 percent from the field and 48.9 percent from deep in that seven-game triumph of the Boston Celtics.
“I think that’s just one thing I’ve done most of my life; when there’s a certain level of play that needs to happen and everybody’s level needs to rise, I feel like I fit into that kind of category,” Martin said. “I feel like I’ve done that the last couple years and I feel like that’s what I’ll be able to do here with a group of guys that’s talented.”
Categorizing players as playoff risers and fallers is tough to do through a binary lens. Players have great games and bad games, legendary series and forgettable ones. Martin has had plenty of forgettable moments in addition to his great ones. Even players like Kawhi Leonard and Nikola Jokic, regarded heavily as those who raise their game in the playoffs, have letdowns. And guys like Joel Embiid, panned as playoff droppers, have track records with more successes than their reputation suggests.
Although Martin hasn’t risen to the occasion like he did in that series in any other playoff series in his career, his playoff performances have generally been good. Being one of the primary factors on one of the most unlikely Finals appearances ever should be recognized. The 76ers certainly didn’t overlook it when evaluating options in free agency.
Martin knows a way to the Finals but not the way. If the Sixers win the East, it won’t look like how the Heat did.
“Just bringing a little bit of that experience and being able to get to the Finals,” he said. “Not too many people know how, obviously, the route is to get there. I don’t even know myself [what] the route to get there and get through that. That’s why I’m trying to figure out how to get there and find a way to get over the hump with a new group of guys. I think we all got the same mindset and same goal at hand right now.”
The 76ers will depend on Martin to be a tough defender on a variety of opponents. With he, George, and Kelly Oubre Jr. projected to be the starting forwards, that might mean taking on bigger players often. Offensively, Martin will be tasked with shooting and attacking the gaps that the stars around him open up. While Martin's three-point percentage wasn’t great with the Heat (a below-average 35.3 percent over the past two seasons), the Sixers will offer him a great chance to get it up. He's going to have a lot of open room to fire away with the space and opportunities created by Embiid, George, and Tyrese Maxey.
“I definitely think I fit,” Martin said, pointing to Nick Nurse and the type of players he has coached, naming Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry. The latter, Martin said, is “one of my big brothers right now so anywhere he fits, I know I’ll fit. We’re the same type of guy in terms of things we just try to bring, winning attributes to a team. He loves it here and he loves playing for Nick. I think I’ll fit in for sure.”
Now that Lowry is officially back with the Sixers, Martin will once again get to team up with the savvy, tough point guard. There aren’t many more familiar faces around the roster but with the talent around him, Martin should have a great time getting to know everyone.
The 76ers signing away a key player from a rival comes with the obvious, cheeky benefit of weakening that rival. The Heat have had way more success than the Sixers have with one of their former players, Jimmy Butler, leading the way. Martin won’t lead the Sixers like Butler leads the Heat. But Philly hopes that the talent Martin showed playing alongside Butler and Bam Adebayo will translate to a role next to Embiid, Maxey, and George.
“The last couple years, I’ve been a part of a lot of winning,” Caleb Martin said. “That’s been a main factor for me, especially the last couple years. I just think this is one of the best places to do it. They’re putting a great team together. They’ve got a lot of guys with a lot of talent so I think it should elevate my game in a personal way and as a team, I feel like we can do something special.”
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