The current COVID-19 outbreak among NBA teams could end up having an impact on the number of games that Caleb Martin plays for the Miami Heat this season.
Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel looked at potential adjustments the NBA is considering to address the issue, and Martin’s status is something that could be directly affected by those potential decisions.
“The very mechanisms that could solve the Miami Heat’s riddle with forward Caleb Martin also could torpedo the planning that created the bind in the first place,” Winderman wrote.
“As the NBA considers adjustments to operational rules in the wake of numerous players entering health-and-safety protocols, a league executive told the South Florida Sun Sentinel he could foresee the NBA removing the limitations on the number of games two-way players can appear in this season, similar to such adjustments the past two pandemic-impacted seasons.”
Martin, who is signed to a two-way contract with the Heat, is currently sidelined after being put in health and safety protocols last week.
That contract currently limits Martin to being on the Heat’s active roster for no more than 50 games during the regular season, with Martin already near the halfway point of that number.
During Martin’s time on the court for the Heat this season, he’s averaged 7.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. The vast majority of his appearances have been in a reserve role.
Due to the Heat’s current string of injuries to players like Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, the team’s roster has been depleted.
Exactly how the NBA addresses the outbreak remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the Heat will be watching the process very closely.