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.
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.
The main distinction is that Martin will turn 29 before the season starts, whilst Okoro will turn 24 in the midst of next season. Even though Okoro isn’t quite as good as Martin in 2023–2024, he’s still very close. He could yet get better. However, at this stage of his NBA career, Martin most likely is who he is.
Isaac Okoro, Heat Would Probably Need to Meet Contract Length and Halfway to Make Deal Work.
Bailey pointed out that the Detroit Pistons and Utah Jazz are the only teams in the league that have the capacity to make Okoro a “meaningful offer” due to the current salary cap circumstances across the league. But while the Heat coaching staff is regarded throughout the league as one of the greatest at developing professional talent, with Martin serving as a prime example recently, the Miami front office is notorious for its creative manipulation of the wage cap.
Miami’s climate, entertainment, and culture consistently rank it among the best travel locations for players. Even though the Heat are a part of the 18th largest sports market in the country, they have undoubtedly been the top team in the Eastern Conference for the last five years. With three trips to the Conference Finals and two appearances in the NBA Finals, Miami has made it to the playoffs in each of its five seasons.
As a result, a young player looking for a new home, improved growth, and an opportunity to stand out on a team that always matters may find the franchise appealing. If Okoro meets that criteria, he might be open to accepting a somewhat lower salary on a shorter-term deal in order to boost his reputation within the NBA and advance as a player.
Even with convoluted specifics, Miami is able to come to an amicable contractual agreement with Okoro, and the Heat could utilize a player who can provide them with at least 90% of Martin’s all-around productivity from the previous season.
