Why haven’t the Memphis Grizzlies signed Kevin Martin?

The Grizzlies have a thin bench and plenty of youth. Kevin Martin could be the missing piece.

The Memphis Grizzlies fulfilled their offseason wishlist. They re-signed Mike Conley. The Core Four finally has a complementary scoring piece in Chandler Parsons, who fits perfectly as a combo forward. They became younger and more athletic with the additions of Wade Baldwin, Deyonta Davis, James Ennis and Troy Daniels. Despite all this, there is something missing. The Memphis Grizzlies need a bench presence that will guide their young second unit. Insert Kevin Martin.

Last season, Martin averaged 9.3 points on 36.0 percent shooting from 3 and 37.2 percent from the field. It was a lost season for the aging sharpshooter. He was stuck in a youth movement in Minnesota and lost in the shuffle in San Antonio. Now, it is September, and Kevin Martin is still not on a team.

Kevin Martin is still a season removed from averaging 20 points on 39.3 percent from beyond the arc. In a environment where he has a carved role, the 33-year old can still produce on a nightly basis.

Kevin Martin’s fit with the Grizzlies’ bench

Kevin Martin would be the ideal sixth man for the Memphis Grizzlies.

In the second-unit, Martin would give the Grizzlies a much-needed scoring punch. JaMychal Green or Brandan Wright aren’t necessarily scoring commodities. James Ennis is still too unproven to be a playoff team’s sixth man. Troy Daniels needs to show that he is more than a spot-up shooter. Wade Baldwin and Andrew Harrison may not be ready for NBA minutes. At nearly 40 years old, Vince Carter is “ancient” in NBA years. This is where Kevin Martin comes into play.

He may not be an offensive facilitator (1.9 career assist average); however, the second-unit will find easier opportunities with Martin in the offense. Kevin Martin would give Wade Baldwin a go-to scorer. He’d allow James Ennis to focus more on the defensive end of the court, while finding easy buckets on the offensive end.

While the Memphis Grizzlies are losing Lance Stephenson, Kevin Martin is the upgrade. Though he may be older and more of a defensive liability, Martin could play off-the-ball and work with the starting lineup.

Kevin Martin’s fit with the Grizzlies’ starting lineup

Unlike many other “top-notch” available free agent options, Kevin Martin could fit with the Grizzlies starting lineup in any fashion.

The Memphis Grizzlies could sub Martin for Tony Allen at the shooting guard position. While Kevin Martin is not a prolific defender (career DBPM of -2.4), teams would think twice before doubling Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. If teams do elect to double their bigs, the Grizzlies have Kevin Martin, Chandler Parsons and Mike Conley ready to fire from downtown.

If the Grizzlies wanted to play small, they could insert Kevin Martin for Randolph and go with a Conley/Martin/Allen/Parsons/Gasol lineup. This unit has oodles of offensive potential. With plenty of offensive spacing, everyone should thrive in their given roles.

Final Thoughts

Martin would be a hand-in-glove fit for the Memphis Grizzlies. With the scoring ability to lead a bench and to compliment a starting 5, his production should be maximized. While the Grizzlies may need to sacrifice some pieces (VC? Jordan Adams?), a Kevin Martin signing may benefit the team when playoff time comes around.