The news only broke during the initial chaos of free agency, but the Sixers are making a significant acquisition by acquiring a player who could very well join their starting lineup.
A source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia on Saturday that the team is in the process of finalizing a multi-year deal for Caleb Martin.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news. According to ESPN, Martin has agreed to “a four-year deal that is guaranteed for more than $32 million.”
A source also confirmed that the Sixers will let Paul Reed go.
Martin went undrafted out of Nevada in 2019 and began his NBA career with the Hornets. He has spent the last three seasons in Miami, where he has averaged 9.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals per game.
A big part of Martin’s appeal is that he’s a tough player who can defend multiple positions, and he’s played a big role in a deep playoff run recently. Martin was brilliant during the Heat’s Eastern Conference Finals win over the Celtics in 2023, posting 19.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game on 48.9 percent three-point shooting.
Martin scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Game 7.
Martin is 6’5″, 205 pounds, has a 6’1″ wingspan and is accustomed to playing a lot of minutes at both forward positions. According to Cleaning the Glass, he played 50 percent of his minutes last season at small forward and 40 percent at power forward.
Reed, who had a non-guaranteed $7.7 million contract for next year, was the odd man out in the Sixers’ draft process. The team added center Andre Drummond in free agency and drafted UCLA big man Adem Bona.
After being selected 58th overall in the 2020 draft, Reed worked his way into regular playing time with the Sixers. The 6-foot-9 DePaul product won the G League MVP, became Joel Embiid’s top backup and proved himself to be an exceptional, relentless rebounder. Reed appeared in every game for the Sixers last year, despite a subpar first-round playoff series against a Knicks team that featured two 7-foot centers in Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitchell Robinson.
While the Sixers aren’t ready to go this offseason, here’s a plausible lineup with Martin on board:
Tyrese Maxey — Kelly Oubre Jr. — Paul George — Caleb Martin — Joel Embiid
In addition to Bona and Drummond, they also have rookie Jared McCain, second-year wing Ricky Council IV and veteran Eric Gordon. Justin Edwards and David Jones have agreed to sign two-way contracts.