If Bought Out In Minnesota, Kevin Martin Makes Sense For Hawks

With 11-year veteran Kevin Martin on the verge of leaving Minnesota, the Atlanta Hawks should make a deal to better their postseason outlook.

Veteran combo guard Kevin Martin is progressing towards a potential contract buyout with the Minnesota Timberwolves, in order to sign with a contender for the rest of the season.

ESPN’s Marc Stein reported that Martin would have to be waived and signed by a team by Tuesday in order to be eligible for the playoffs. All signs point to the buyout occurring sometime on Monday, with many playoff teams expecting to be in hot pursuit.

While the San Antonio Spurs have emerged as a likely landing spot for the 33-year-old’s services, it has also been reported by multiple media outlets that the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, and perhaps the most interesting suitor, the Atlanta Hawks, have been rumored to be interested in signing him for their respective playoff runs.

Admittedly, the Hawks are perhaps the biggest long shot of the teams listed. However, when digging past the surface of a potentially crowded backcourt, Martin would be a great fit should the team be serious about getting to the conference finals and challenging the presumed favorite, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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When the team stood pat at the trade deadline, choosing not to move the most tradeable trio of Jeff Teague, Al Horford, and Kyle Korver, it was clear that Mike Budenholzer and the front office were confident enough in the team that they had to make a run down the stretch in the Eastern Conference.

Besides, this is the same team, sans DeMarre Carroll, that is one year removed from the first 60-win season in franchise history. While losing Carroll’s presence on the wing has been one key cause to their pedestrian 32-27 season to date, the Hawks have yet to overcome the loss of newly acquired big man Tiago Splitter, who is out for the season with a hip injury.

With little to no veteran impact frontcourt players on the market, the Hawks should be prudent and modify their strategy with the addition of backcourt difference-makers, a prime reason why Martin should be considered. In 39 games this season, Martin has averaged 10.6 points per game on a respectable 37.7 percent mark from the floor in 21.4 minutes of action per night.

Outside of the prominent presence of rookie big Karl-Anthony Towns, Martin has quietly put together another very productive season, seemingly emerging as the one consistent cog on a night-to-night basis. Additionally, he has shot around 37 percent from behind the arc, which would serve him well in the inside-out offense that the Hawks run with Paul Millsap and Horford.

At 6’7″, Martin’s size is an immediate plus to a roster deprived of size in the backcourt. Teague is 6’2″, the newly acquired Kirk Hinrich is 6’3″, while up-and-coming Dennis Schroder is 6’1″. At Martin’s height, he would be able to play more out on the wing like Korver (6’7″) and Kent Bazemore (6’5″).

Atlanta Hawks

The fact that Martin is not a player that needs to be pigeon-holed to any one position on the floor is intriguing, and fits the mold of Mike Budenholzer’s offensive system to a T.

A lineup slotted with Teague or Schroder/Korver/Martin/Millsap/Horford would be a formidable, free-flowing offense that would match-up well with other teams in the East who are at their best when playing small.

As an even-keeled, well-respected journeyman, Martin would also bring the obvious intangibles to the Atlanta roster. By all indications, the Hawks are a collected, tightly knit group, and there hasn’t been anything to suggest that Martin would upset the chemistry that helped guide the team to the best season in franchise history in 2014-15.

In the playoffs especially, you can never have enough veteran voices, especially when it comes from players who have been in the fire when the lights are brightest in the past. Martin has made two playoff appearances in his career thus far. The first occurrence came in the 2005-06 season with the Sacramento Kings, while the second came in 2012-13 with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In 17 games in the postseason, Martin has averaged 13.7 points per game on 39 percent shooting from beyond the arc, which would undoubtedly be welcomed given the fact that his numbers mirror the consistency of his regular-season numbers throughout his 11 seasons in the NBA.

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In the end, no matter how you view this unlikely scenario, there’s no denying that Martin will help whatever team is lucky enough to land him. As a low-risk, high-reward signing for any of the listed suitors, the race to land him should be fierce and swift, leading to an exciting couple of days ahead for Martin and whichever team he ultimately chooses.