Heat could think about switching Caleb Martin out for a competitor $29 million starter.
The Miami Heat had to figure out how to replace the dynamic wing’s minutes without sacrificing too much in translation after the confusing summer departure of Caleb Martin.
Martin turned down a bigger offer from the Heat of $65 million over five years in an ultimately unsuccessful gamble. Instead, he signed a four-year, $35 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. A different possibility for Miami would be free agent Isaac Okoro, who was most recently with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Martin and Okoro had similar roles, skill sets, and body types during Martin’s four seasons with the Cavs.
On Thursday, August 1, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey named Okoro one of the top players still available as a free agency. Bailey stated, “Okoro is only 23 years old and just finished a season in which he shot 39.1 percent from deep.” “It’s simple to get excited about his three-and-D potential when you combine that with a [6-feet-9] wingspan and consecutive campaigns with an above-average defensive estimated plus-minus.”
With the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro was acquired by Cleveland, where he made slightly over $29 million in four years. However, since Okoro, a shooting guard/small forward combo, has not signed a contract to return, the Cavaliers are either planning to break the relationship or are hesitant to accede to his demands.
Caleb Martin and Isaac Okoro played similarly for the Cavaliers and Heat last season.
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.
At six feet five inches, Okoro is the same height as Martin, but he weighs 225 pounds instead of 205 as Martin does. Last season, Martin averaged 27.4 minutes per game over 64 games (23 starts) for Miami, while he played 27.3 minutes a night over 69 games (42 starts) for Cleveland.
In 2023–24, Martin averaged 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists for the Heat, while Okoro averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists for the Cavaliers. Martin made 34.9% of his 3.6 long shots per game, while Okoro made 39.1% of his 3.1 efforts from beyond the arc.
Because of their respective sizes, Martin and Okoro can both defend various positions across the guard and forward spots. Martin’s wingspan is just one inch longer than Okoro’s. Martin had a defensive rating of 113.3 at the end of the previous season, while Okoro had a rating of 114.9. The defense rating was 116.1 on average for the league.