Getty Caleb Martin of the Nevada Wolfpack who is projected to go late in the second round of the NBA draft.
After two seasons that saw him struggle to find his rhythm at NC State, Caleb Martin transferred to Nevada where he has put together two of the strongest seasons in the NCAA. A swiss-army knife type of player who does a little bit of everything, Martin is the key cog in the machine that is the Nevada Wolfpack.
Although his three-point shooting has taken a slight step back this season, Martin is able to impact the game on both sides of the ball. Although not consistent defensively, Martin finds himself in the middle of a ton of impact plays on that side of the ball and loves to take gambles to force turnovers on the perimeter.
Caleb Martin went UP and put his man on a poster!
Being a senior, Martin’s age is definitely something that will lower his draft stock, as is the fact that many scouts feel his game doesn’t have the potential to improve that much more. However, being a player with great size that is able to contribute across a wide array of categories, Martin could, in theory, come in and provide relatively competent minutes right off the bat.
Caleb Martin NBA Mock Draft Projections
Despite his incredibly strong play leading one of the best teams in the nation, most mock drafts have Martin going either very late in the second round or undrafted entirely. NBAdraft.net has Martin going 59th overall to the Raptors (fitting) while both ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo have Martin falling off the board entirely and going undrafted.
As a fifth-year senior in his age 23 season, Martin is much older than the vast majority of prospects in the NBA draft. Despite having great size and an NBA ready body to go with his unselfish skill set, his age alone is what knocks him so far down the draft boards. Even if Martin goes undrafted, an NBA team will likely scoop him up quickly and give him the opportunity to prove himself worthy of a roster spot via the summer league.
Raptors Among Best Fits for Caleb Martin in NBA Draft
Seeing as how most mock drafts have Martin going either late in the second round (to the Raptors) or undrafted entirely, Martin will likely be an available option for nearly every team in the league. He would fit in perfectly with Toronto who, especially if Kawhi leaves, could use another rangy scoring wing off the bench.
2nd Half starts out with a BANG.
Caleb Martin with an emphatic jam for @NevadaHoops.
Although Norman Powell recently signed an extension with the Raptors, Martin would slot in perfectly alongside the defensive-minded OG Anunoby to create one of the strongest bench wing pairings in the NBA. If Leonard doesn’t stay and Powell or Anunoby steps into the vacant starting role moving next season, Martin could contribute immediate impactful minutes off the bench. Even if Leonard does stay, the Raptors bench gets enough burn to the point where he should get a shot to show he deserves consistent minutes in the NBA.
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