The Miami Heat made sure one of their most valuable role players sticks around for years to come. The franchise announced on Thursday that small forward Caleb Martin is returning to Miami for the 2022-23 NBA season and beyond after agreeing on a new contract with the franchise.
The Heat didn’t disclose the terms of the deal, but ESPN reports that Martin inked a three-year contract that will net him $20 million.
In a statement released by the Heat, the team president Pat Riley said that the organization is “extremely happy” to have Martin back in the building.
“Caleb is a multi-position player with tremendous energy that had a career year with us,” said Riley. “He works hard and deserves this as much as any young player in the league.”
Martin is one of several free agents that the Heat managed to retain this offseason. The team previously locked guard Victor Oladipo and center Dewayne Dedmon to new deals as well.
Caleb Martin entered the NBA in 2019 as an undrafted free agent. He spent two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets before landing with the Heat on a two-way contract ahead of the 2021–22 season. Miami liked what they saw in Martin and gave him a more prominent role off the bench, something that Nevada product took advantage of and then some.
Martin delivered a series of strong performances in the first part of the season and secured a standard NBA contract by February. He went on to finish the campaign with 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game, all career-highs.
