Veteran shooting guard Kevin Martin is reportedly on his way to being signed by the San Antonio Spurs as the five-time NBA champions are looking to add more "offensive firepower" to try and beat the reigning champions Golden State Warriors.
Yahoo Sports reported that the Spurs are "adding some more offensive firepower to try to keep up with Golden State" with the acquisition of Martin, who became a free agent when he was released by the Wolves on March 1, the deadline of signing of waivers for players to still be consented to play in the postseason.
The official signing is not done yet and so the Spurs has until March 10, Thursday this week, to sign the former Western Carolina standout if the team wants him to become playoff eligible.
The report said that the 33-year-old offensive guard is "eager to join a playoff contender" after he agreed to a buyout with the Wolves, his mother team for the past three seasons after a short stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012-2013.
San Antonio would be Martin's fifth NBA team in his 13-year professional career as one of the most reliable outside shooters in the league during his era. As of the moment, he is best utilized as an off-the-bench scorer as his defensive play has already deteriorated throughout the seasons.
Fansided noted that "Martin may not be a double-digit scorer off the bench anymore, and his defense will likely prevent him from playing major minutes in San Antonio". However, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is definitely "too smart to not figure out how to use a player with a useful skill set, and even if he contributes nothing to the cause, the Spurs are still a damn good team regardless".
Martin averaged 10.6 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists during his second and final season in Minnesota where he played only 21.4 minutes per game in 39 games. Last season, he averaged 20.0 points, 3.6 boards, and 2.3 assists in 33.4 minutes a night, when he was still the starter for the Wolves at his position.
Current head coach Sam Mitchell had decided to build his rotation around the young players of his roster, starting Andrew Wiggins at the shooting guard spot with Zach LaVine as his primary backup. It left little playing time for the veteran Martin, which led to his eventual release early this month.