Hawks Sign SF Cartier Martin

In a very interesting and mostly unforeseen move, the Atlanta Hawks have announced the signing of journeyman forward Cartier Martin.

Because the team didn’t disclose details on the move, it isn’t 100% clear whether Martin was signed simply to compete for a roster spot (ostensibly against a player like James Johnson), but according to the AJC’s Chris Vivlamore, the deal is non-guaranteed. Frankly, it would have been a major surprise if he was locked up to anything resembling a guaranteed roster spot, so that revelation isn’t a surprising one.

Martin is a 5-year NBA veteran at the swingman position, and it seems clear that he is considered, at the very least, a potential upgrade to the bench. He is an athletic player at 6-foot-7, but as a career 39% field goal shooter (yikes), Martin has struggled to put things together, in full, offensively, while never displaying a singular “elite” skill at this level.

With that said, I am certainly in favor of bringing another NBA-caliber wing for a good, long look as the season approaches, and this fits that description. The next few days will be crucial for players like the aforementioned James Johnson, as the team has displayed this clear interest in Martin.

In short, the clarity of the end of the bench just became significantly muddier.