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Caleb Martin was the unsung hero of the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics. Martin was huge for the Heat, as they prevented a comeback for the ages, beating the Celtics in Game 7 on Monday at the TD Garden.
Martin is one of many undrafted players on the Heat's roster this season. He has carved out a nice role in South Beach since signing a two-way deal ahead of the 2021-22 season. Miami converted his deal to a standard contract midway through last season.
The Heat further rewarded Martin by giving him a three-year, $20,408,850 contract last summer. He had a salary of $6,479,000 this season, averaging 9.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals in 71 games. He was even better in the playoffs, putting up 14.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 1.7 APG.
According to Spotrac, Martin has a deal with the Miami Heat until the 2024-25 season. He's set to earn roughly $6.8 million next season with a player option worth $7.1 million.
If Martin continues to play like this until next season, there's a chance he could get a huge payday in free agency. Tyler Herro's absence contributed to Martin's minutes, but he's ensured to have a bigger role in the Heat's rotation moving forward. It has been quite a journey for Martin, who went undrafted in 2019.
Caleb Martin's journey to the NBA
Caleb Martin played high school basketball at the famed Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.
Alongside his twin brother, Cody Martin, they began their collegiate careers at North Carolina State. They were at the Wolfpack for two seasons before entering the transfer portal and joining Nevada for the final two years of their NCAA careers.
While Cody was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the second round of the 2019 NBA draft, Caleb went undrafted. The Hornets later ended up signing Caleb as an undrafted free agent, and he played with his twin brother for two seasons.
Caleb Martin became a free agent in 2021 and signed with the Miami Heat, with help from rapper J. Cole. Caleb signed a two-way deal before earning a standard contract midway through last season. He earned his way through Miami's rotation which led to a huge bump in salary, culminating in a three-year $20 million deal last summer.
The 27-year-old swingman played magnificently against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. He averaged 19.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in seven games, shooting 60.2% from the field and 48.9% from beyond the arc.
Guess the Lakers players!
