Heat Should Consider Replacing Caleb Martin With Rival $29 Million Starter

The Miami Heat lost Caleb Martin in confusing fashion over the summer and now must figure out how to replace the versatile wing’s minutes without losing too much in translation.Caleb Martin explains why his favorite bucket of these playoffs reminded him of Nevada

Martin joined the Philadelphia 76ers on a four-year, $35 million contract after turning down a better offer from the Heat of $65 million over five years in a risk that ultimately didn’t pan out. Isaac Okoro, a free agent most recently employed by the Cleveland Cavaliers, is an alternative option for Miami given his similarity in size, skill set and role to Martin as a member of the Cavs over the past four seasons.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report on Thursday, August 1, listed Okoro among the best remaining players remaining on the free agent market.

“Okoro is just 23 years old and coming off a season in which he shot 39.1 percent from deep,” Bailey wrote. “When you combine that with a [6-feet-9] wingspan and back-to-back campaigns with an above-average defensive estimated plus-minus, it’s easy to become intrigued with his three-and-D upside.”

Okoro earned just north of $29 million over four years in Cleveland after the franchise selected him with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NBA draft. However, the Cavaliers are either intent on ending the relationship or unwilling to meet Okoro’s contract demands, as the shooting guard/small forward combo has been eligible for an extension since July 2023, yet has not signed a deal to return.


Isaac Okoro, Caleb Martin Performed Similarly for Cavaliers, Heat Last Season

Isaac Okoro Cleveland Cavaliers

GettyIsaac Okoro, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Okoro is the same height as Martin at 6-feet-5 and is sturdier at 225 pounds compared to Martin’s weight of 205. He played 27.3 minutes per night across 69 games (42 starts) in Cleveland last season, while Martin logged 27.4 minutes per contest across 64 games (23 starts) for Miami.

Okoro averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists for the Cavs in 2023-24, while Martin put up 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the Heat. Okoro connected on 39.1% of 3.1 attempts from behind the 3-point line per night, while Martin hit 34.9% of 3.6 shots from deep each game.

Martin’s wingspan is just one inch longer than Okoro’s, and their respective sizes allow each man to defend multiple positions across the guard and forward spots. Martin finished last season with a defensive rating of 113.3, while Okoro posted a mark of 114.9. The league average for defensive rating was 116.1.

The primary difference is that Okoro will turn 24 in the middle of next season, while Martin will hit 29 years old before the campaign officially begins. Okoro — while slightly less of a player than Martin in 2023-24, yet extremely similar — can still feasibly improve his game. Martin, on the other hand, probably is who he is at this point in his NBA career.


Isaac Okoro, Heat Would Likely Have to Meet Halfway on Contract Amount, Length to Make Deal Work

Isaac Okoro, Max Strus, Donovan Mitchell, Knicks

Getty Isaac Okoro #35, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Bailey noted that the current salary cap situations around the league render the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz as the only two franchises who can extend Okoro a “meaningful offer.” However, the Miami front office is known for its salary cap permutations, while the Heat coaching staff is respected league-wide as among the best developers of professional talent — with Martin being a chief and recent example.

Miami also often proves among the top destinations for players due to the city’s weather, nightlife and culture. The Heat play in only the 18th largest sports market in the United States, but the team has been arguably the best in the Eastern Conference over the past five years. Miami has been to the playoffs all five seasons, earning three trips to the Conference Finals and two appearances in the NBA Finals.

As such, the franchise is one that might prove attractive to a young player seeking a new home, better development and a chance to shine on a team that always matters. If Okoro fits that bill, he might be willing to take a little less on a shorter-term contract to rehabilitate his value across the NBA and improve as a player in the process.

Miami is capable of meeting Okoro halfway contractually, even amid complicated details, and the Heat could use a player who can offer them 90%, or more, of Martin’s across the board production last season.

Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible

Related Posts

Lakers Player Thinks LeBron James And Stephen Curry Need To Team Up

The 2024 Olympics came and went in a flash, with the short-lived team-up of LeBron James and Stephen Curry coming to an end after the pair led the USA to the…

Olympic Champion Curry’s Wife Fights Back Tears During Encounter with French Police

It’s a scene that almost anyone with a family or young children can relate to — a mother trying to keep her small baby and infant son…

Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Pumps Brakes After J.J. McCarthy’s Debut

The Minnesota Vikings’ 24-23 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, and afterward, head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked if rookie J.J. McCarthy had done enough to at…

John Rhys Plumlee Thought His First Kick Return Was Going To Be A ‘House Call Or 911 Call’

When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed John Rhys Plumlee as an undrafted free agent in late April, most people expected him to simply be the fourth man at…

BREAKING: Packers’ New Defensive Ends Get ‘Big Opportunity’ – News Today

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With Rashan Gary and Preston Smith unlikely to play much and with two young backups out with injuries, the Green Bay Packers’ two…

Weather report for Commanders vs. NY Jets justifies decision to rest Aaron Rodgers

The NY Jets are set to take on the Washington Commanders this Saturday in the preseason opener, and they’ll do so without their star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers,…