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[Saba Sports News] Just over a year after his postseason heroics, a beloved Miami Heat player may be on his way out.
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that Heat forward Caleb Martin is expected to leave as a free agent this summer. Martin declined his $7.1 million player option for next season and is likely to receive nearly double that amount from another team.
The 28-year-old Martin, one of the Heat’s famed undrafted players, was a breakout star in the 2023 postseason. During the seven-game victory over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, Martin had multiple 25-point games and narrowly missed out on the ECF MVP, which went to teammate Jimmy Butler.
Martin’s 2023-24 season was less successful, averaging 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game with slightly lower shooting percentages. However, he remains a high-quality defender and a 35.7 percent career three-point shooter, often pressuring defenses with his drives to the rim.
While Heat role players don’t always replicate their success elsewhere, plenty of teams seem interested in signing Martin at around $14 million per year. On the bright side for Miami, at least one notable roster uncertainty has been resolved.