NBA Rumors: 76ers Interested in Caleb Martin; Heat FA Wants $15M per Year Contract

The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly among the teams that have expressed interest in free-agent forward Caleb Martin.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported nothing is imminent with Martin as he’s seemingly been squeezed by the market.

Martin reportedly sought a deal in excess of $15 million per season but is yet to find a taker. He declined a player option that would have paid him $7.1 million in 2024-25.

The Sixers would need Martin to lower his asking price to have a chance of acquiring him. They have already used up most of their available cap space with the signings of Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Andre Drummond, along with the re-signing of Tyrese Maxey. They can still work on the timing of those deals to add more talent, but it’s likely they’ll want to get their ducks in a row for the July 6 start of the new league year.

Waiving Paul Reed’s non-guaranteed $7.7 million salary could open more room. The Sixers could also use Reed’s contract as part of a trade.

Martin averaged 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 34.9 percent from three-point range. Given his ability to stretch the floor and play both forward positions, Martin’s expectation of $15 million a season was reasonable given the market.

However, it seems like Martin has become one of the odd men out on the free-agent market. He might wind up being forced to take a one-year contract with a player option for 2025-26 to test the market again next summer.