Sixers Sign Caleb Martin, Waive Paul Reed
A busy off-season for the Sixers continues. We knew with just 3 people under contract, they were going to be a much different team. But a week into free agency, we now have an idea of just how different that will be. The Sixers’ latest move was signing former Heat forward Caleb Martin, and waiving Paul Reed to open up additional cap space.
What Does Caleb Martin Bring To The Sixers?
First off, Martin is another plus defender to throw into the Sixers lineup. He is just 6ft5 but has a wingspan of 6ft10. He has shown in the past he can guard 1-4, giving the Sixers versatility on how they can use him. They say this era of basketball is positionless, and Martin is the perfect player to fit that mold.
But he has also shown he has a knack for stepping up in the playoffs. His points per game went up from the regular season in each of his last two playoff appearances. In the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, he scored 19.3 points per game, on the way to helping the Heat beat the Celtics. He also grabbed 6.4 rebounds per game and shot 48.3% from deep.
In game 7 of that series, he scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. In past years the Sixers had too many people who fell off in the playoffs. Martin is the type of guy who steps his game up.
Martin will likely play SF, moving Paul George over to PF. Giving them a likely starting 5 of Maxey, Oubre, Martin, George, and Embiid. Despite his size, Martin is also capable of playing the 4, though is maybe not the perfect fit there.
They could still tinker with that, but for now, that looks to be their starting 5. With 3 plus scorers, and 3 plus defenders now, it’s starting to look like a team that can contend.
Paul Reed Gets Waived
Just a year after signing a big deal with the Sixers, Reed is already gone. There was a clause in his contract that made his money non-guaranteed if the Sixers did not get out of the 1st round. As we all know, the Knicks beat them in the 1st round.
That series exposed Paul Reed a bit. Anytime Embiid came off, and Reed went on, the Sixers fell apart. Embiid was +46 in that series, and his team still lost in 6 games. After they signed Andre Drummond and drafted Adem Bona, Reed just had no place on this team. Especially with a potential cap hit of $7.7 million.
What Is Next For the Sixers
Counting Adem Bona, who has not signed just yet, the Sixers now have 10 players under contract. That includes two rookies and Ricky Council. After that they have the aforementioned starting 5, plus Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon.
A backup PF and a backup PG likely are the next targets. It will have to come in the form of minimum contracts though, because now even with cutting Reed, the Sixers are a bit cap-strapped. But they found Kelly Oubre on the minimum last year, and he was probably their 3rd best player.
Filling out those spots may require patience. It might take a vet realizing they are not going to get the deals they want, and settling with the Sixers where they can at least compete.
It may also take until the trade deadline, and the buyout period, for this roster to truly reach its final form. But while they still need more rebounding, and someone off the bench who can facilitate, the team is looking pretty good given how little faith Sixers fans seemed to have going into the season.
All contracts the Sixers have signed so far become official at Noon.
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