The only players to average more points per minute on a higher effective field-goal percentage than Kevin Martin last season were LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Obviously LeBron and Durant bring much more to the table as all-around players, but as a scorer, Martin was elite.
Even as we better understand that a good scorer must produce in efficiency and volume, scoring remain an eye-catching contribution. That’s why Martin, who will become a free agent in an hour, has so many suitors.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports:
Thunder G Kevin Martin expected to get interest from OKC, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Minnesota, Dallas and Detroit, source tells Y! Sports.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) June 30, 2013
If the Thunder let Martin walk, their return for James Harden would look pretty paltry. Jeremy Lamb struggled to get off the bench last season, and the Raptors outperformed expectations, making their first-round pick sent by Houston less appealing. It was used on Steven Adams, a huge project who didn’t do much at Pittsburgh last season.
Smart teams don’t let these sunk costs affect their decision-making, and the Thunder are a smart team. So, they could let Martin go if the cost gets high.
But to all the teams pursuing him, shouldn’t that indicate something if the Thunder aren’t outbidding you? Martin, who’s slightly older than Andre Iguodala, faces many of the same age concerns, though, as a jump shooter, Martin seems better positioned to remain a high-level player for longer.
