Kevin Martin wants to return to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but money talks, and there may not be enough cash ‘speaking’ for him to remain next to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Per The Oklahoman‘s Darnell Mayberry, the Thunder are unlikely to retain the veteran shooting guard:
I’ve always liked Lamb’s potential. But while I think he can replace some of K-Mart’s perimeter shooting, I’m not positive he can move without the ball as well doing things like cutting and working the two-man game like K-Mart does with Nick Collison. But money matters. And I just don’t see the Thunder being able to bring back Martin. Not when a talent like Lamb, who would be a much cheaper alternative, is waiting in line.
Martin’s future with the Thunder has been one of the more understated storylines of this season. Fresh off trading James Harden, not many people outside of Oklahoma City seem to grasp the gravity of the dilemma the Thunder are about to face.
Martin is no Harden, but the team is approaching a similar quandary. The Thunder have more than $66 million committed to 10 players next season. To stay beneath the luxury tax threshold, they cannot exceed $70 million in wages. Each NBA team must carry a minimum of 12 players on the roster (most opt to carry more; the maximum is 15). This presents a problem.
Assuming the Thunder can sign one other player to a minimum deal, that would bring their grand salary total to around $67 million, leaving them with $3 million annually to offer Martin. While I understand Martin is due to make less than the $13 million he’s earning this season, we’ve got to be realistic. He’s not going to take a 75 percent pay cut before his 31st birthday. Not even if it means staying with the Thunder.
Translation?
Oklahoma City’s sixth man might very well be Jeremy Lamb next season, another sharp shooter who the Thunder acquired in the Harden trade.
As Mayberry notes, Lamb can replace a lot of Martin’s offensive production and I’d hazard he may wind up being a defensive upgrade. That said, he’ll be just a sophomore next season, and he’s appeared in fewer than 25 games this year. The experience just isn’t there.
For rebuilding teams, this would be troubling. For a contender like the Thunder, it borders on cause for panicking.
And yet, this is the Thunder we’re talking about. They were supposed to fall off after dealing Harden but didn’t. Given their penchant for effectively developing young talent, they could prove to be an exception once again.
Either way, the Thunder won’t have much of a choice if they’re not willing to foot a lofty luxury tax bill. Knowing that the luxury tax was the driving force behind them trading Harden, it’s difficult to imagine them breaking their financial morals and spending above their means for an older, less athletically inclined Martin.
Could they surprise us?
Absolutely.
Realistically, though, the Oklahoma City faithful would be better off hoping that it’s Lamb who surprises them next season, and unexpectedly emerges as the offensive spark both Harden and Martin proved to be.
Dan Favale is a and firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
