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Utah Jazz: Is Kelan Martin a two-way contract candidate?

By Zachary Padmore

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 20: Kelan Martin #30 of the Butler Bulldogs brings the ball up court during the game against the Creighton Bluejays at Hinkle Fieldhouse on February 20, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 20: Kelan Martin #30 of the Butler Bulldogs brings the ball up court during the game against the Creighton Bluejays at Hinkle Fieldhouse on February 20, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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After going undrafted earlier this month, Kelan Martin is with the Utah Jazz for summer league, and the former Butler star has a chance to play his way into an NBA contract.

Summer League is the perfect way for a young player to prove himself to decision-makers around the NBA. Kelan Martin, who was one of the better undrafted players in this year’s class, will have an opportunity to ball out with the Utah Jazz.

I was pretty surprised when Martin didn’t get his name called during the 2018 NBA Draft. During his time at Butler, he got better and better, and had a monster senior season with the Bulldogs. It didn’t take long for Martin to get a shot, though, as he signed with the Jazz for summer league shortly after the draft.

Martin is a guy that I think will be a strong candidate for a two-way contract. Whether that’s with the Jazz or another team is unknown, but Martin can flat-out ball. He has a good combination of size and strength to go with his buttery shooting touch.

What is a two-way contract?

For those of you who don’t know, the NBA debuted two-way contracts during the 2017-18 season. It essentially gives a team two extra roster spots. If you’re on a two-way deal, you can spend up to 45 days with that NBA team, and spend the rest of the time in the G-League.

We saw a lot of teams use the new two-way roster spots wisely this past season. Quite a lot of players actually got converted from a two-way deal to a standard contract, thanks to some strong performances in the G-League and in the NBA.

Utah began the season with Eric Griffin and Nate Wolters as their two-way players, but ultimately waived those two, and ended the season with Erik McCree and Georges Niang on two-way deals.

Why Martin is a strong two-way candidate

Like I stated earlier, Martin was one of the better undrafted players in 2018. As a senior, Martin averaged 21.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting at a 36 percent clip from 3-point land.

At the next level, I think Martin will be able to play positions 2-4. He spaces the floor very nicely, is a capable driver, and has the length to defend. As J-Notes editor Ryan Aston stated in his article regarding Martin and the Summer League roster, Martin clearly knows how to put the ball in the basket.

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While he may not be the greatest athlete in the world, or the greatest playmaker, there’s a lot to like about Martin. Remember, he was in for a pre-draft workout with the Jazz, so they are familiar with his game.

The Jazz have one of the better developmental staffs in the entire league. I know, I say that a lot, but their ability to consistently get the best out of players who go through their program is so impressive to me. I think adding Martin and developing him with the Jazz and with the Salt Lake City Stars could prove to be a very smart move.

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