The Philadelphia 76ers needed a forward to fit into their star-studded starting lineup, and they found him on Saturday.
The Sixers signed former Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin to a four-year, guaranteed contract worth more than $32 million, likely securing him a spot in their starting five. Martin will join the Big Three of Tyrese Maxey, Paul George and Joel Embiid, and the final backcourt spot will be a toss-up between Kelly Oubre Jr. and Eric Gordon.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski shares this belief.writing, “Martin is expected to become the Sixers’ starting forward, sliding into a front line that now includes All-NBA forward Paul George and MVP center Joel Embiid.”
Philadelphia is fully embracing the “small-ball” philosophy by putting the 6’4” Martin at the four position. If they decide to favor some size alongside Maxey, Oubre is the clear choice, as he’s four inches taller than Gordon. Not to mention, Oubre shined with the Sixers last season, while the former Phoenix Sun is new to the organization. Martin averaged 4.4 rebounds last season, meaning finding a full-size power forward to play on the second unit is crucial.
