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.
Kelan Martin to Play for Utah Jazz in NBA Summer League
— Butler Basketball (@ButlerMBB) June 23, 2018
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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.
Utah Jazz summer league roster beginning to take shape https://t.co/GhOVjH5meq
— Rev. Ryan Aston (@RyanAston) June 23, 2018
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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.