The second round series between the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers has become a lot more interesting with the return of Joel Embiid in Game 3. While the Sixers are doing their work on the court, the front office needs to continue its work preparing for the offseason.
Just like with the series against the Toronto Raptors, I will be taking a look at three potential free agents on the Miami Heat that the Sixers should be scouting right now during this series. Players with player options on their contract won’t be included, sorry to fans of P.J. Tucker.
Before beginning, I would like to give a shout-out to an honorable mention in Dewayne Dedmon. A former member of the process, the veteran center has carved out a solid role as a backup in his career. With that written, let’s begin
3 potential Heat free agents to scout: Caleb Martin
Despite being undrafted, Caleb Martin has found his way into the NBA. He spent his first two seasons on the Charlotte Hornets with his brother Cody Martin. However, this past offseason, Caleb Martin was waived by the Hornets and then signed to the Heat on a two-way contract.
He played so well that the Heat gave him a regular contract halfway through the season. During the season, Martin averaged a career-high 9.2 points on 41.3 percent shooting from the 3-point line. However, it was his effort on the defensive end that is probably his best quality.
Despite being 6-foot-5, Martin has become a defensive stopper against shooting guards and small forwards. His grittiness on defense is something that the Philadelphia 76ers could use, especially considering he’s not an offensive liability.
Martin is a restricted free agent, so getting him away from the Heat would be a tricky maneuver by the Sixers’ front office. The Heat can in theory match any offer Philly throws at him, so it comes down to are the 76ers willing to overpay and how much the Heat wants him back.
3 potential Heat free agents to scout: Markieff Morris
It has been a rough season for Philadelphia native Markieff Morris. He was in Miami’s rotation at the beginning of the year before he hit Nikola Jokic with a dirty play which cause Jokic to retaliate with his own dirty play. That cause Morris to miss most of the season.
On the season, the veteran big man averaged 7.6 points and 2.6 rebounds. Despite being a solid two-way veteran with Championship experience, he hasn’t made his postseason debut with the Heat.
It’s clear with a team so deep as the Heat, Morris probably won’t have a long-term future on a team relatively young like Miami. This offseason provides him an opportunity to find a contending team that needs him.
That’s where the Philadelphia 76ers come in, who have a need at power forward. The playoffs have proven that Georges Niang has his limitations. Adding a veteran like Morris who’s better defensively could help the depth moving forward.
3 potential Heat free agents to scout: Victor Oladipo
Last but not least is former All-Star Victor Oladipo. Prior to this postseason, Oladipo had been struggling with injuries for the past three-plus years. He only made his season debut in March of 2022.
During the regular season, he averaged 12.4 points and 3.5 assists, while making 41.7 percent of his 3-pointers. In the postseason, he’s averaged 11.8 points and 2.4 assists on 31.8 percent shooting from deep.
At the age of 30, it’s unlikely that Oladipo will be a franchise cornerstone again. However, he could re-invent himself as an elite sixth man. Like Jerry Stackhouse and Jason Terry before him, the former All-Star can embrace the role of bench scorer moving forward. He’s shown his ability to do so during this series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
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However, with reigning Sixth Man of the Year award winner Tyler Herro on the Heat’s roster, Olidapo should look for a contender who needs bench scoring. Enter in the Sixers whose most consistent bench scorer is Niang. The 76ers can’t offer Oladipo a large contract, but they can offer him a chance to win Sixth Man of the Year with the role they have available for him.
The Philadelphia 76ers could use any of the three players listed in this article as any of them would dramatically improve the bench for the franchise.