Heat Should Think About Using a Rival $29 Million Starter to Replace Caleb Martin
The Miami Heat had to figure out how to replace the dynamic wing’s minutes without sacrificing too much in translation
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. But the Cavaliers aren’t willing to comply with Okoro’s contract demands, or they are planning to break up.
