Cavaliers, Hawks, Thunder, Heat likely teams for Kevin Martin
By Tom West
If Kevin Martin receives a buyout from the Minnesota Timberwolves, he could wind up with a top contender such as the Cleveland Cavaliers or Oklahoma City Thunder.
Joe Johnson has finally been bought out by the Brooklyn Nets which has landed another noteworthy player on the NBA free agent market. The players to follow might not be so exciting, though, as Kevin Martin of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be next.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune has reported that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor would be open to a buyout:
"Taylor said his team hasn’t approached Martin’s side about a contract buyout but said he’d be “open” if Martin’s agent makes a proposal so his client can sign with a playoff-bound team.“I’m not pursuing that,” said Taylor, who also owns the Star Tribune. “You always need some guys with experience who can shoot threes.”"
Despite some of the excellent outlet passes he’s made this season, 39-year-old Andre Miller was bought out by the Timberwolves on Tuesday. It’s clear they want to alter their roster for the future and the need for Martin — who could be a free agent this summer due to having a player option for 2016-17 — is low at best.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, multiple contenders such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder as some of the top suitors for Martin if he’s bought out:
"The Mavs will have interest in Kevin Martin if he receives a buyout, sources said, but he is likely to land with a team that has a better chance of contending. A source named the Cavs, Heat, Hawks and Thunder as suitors for Martin, depending on Joe Johnson’s decision."
While MacMahon also mentioned that the Dallas Mavericks will be interested in Martin, it’s hard to see that he’d opt to join one of the weaker contenders in the Western Conference. After all, there’s no chance they’re passing teams such as the Los Angeles Clippers or any of the Western Conference’s big three in the playoffs.
If Martin receives a buyout and wants to take his three-point shooting elsewhere, either Cleveland or Oklahoma City seem like the best possible destinations for him. Both teams have talented playmakers from LeBron James to Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Martin can keep a simple job of spotting up from the arc, moving off-ball till he finds space, and knocking down threes.
While he has struggled with his overall efficiency this season after shooting 37.7 percent from the field, someone who can spot up for 36.9 percent from three is always valuable. The main drawback is his obvious lack of defense, but there’s no doubt a few playoff teams will look to sign him as a low-minute addition to their second unit.