With the 2024 NBA Draft in the rearview and free agency around the corner, the market is beginning to form as teams and players are making decisions on their player options. One member of the Miami Heat is banking on landing a more desirable offer on the open market, which could intrigue the Detroit Pistons.
Leading up to the draft, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that Caleb Martin isn’t expected to return to the Heat by making $7.13 million next year. Instead, he prefers a “bigger payday.”
The Pistons are loaded with cap space this summer, and have an opportunity to make an intriguing offer or two for a big name in free agency. At this point, it seems some of the top-tier players are likely to look the other way when the Pistons come calling.
A lot of that has to do with the state of the Pistons. After achieving fewer than 15 wins last year, Detroit doesn’t have much intrigue to veterans such as Paul George and Klay Thompson, who are looking to contend for a title right away.
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Perhaps, a player like Martin is willing to grow with a rebuilding franchise while earning a better deal after signing a multi-year contract with the Heat in 2022. Initially, Martin re-signed with Miami on a three-year deal, worth up to $20 million.
Last season, Martin had his best offensive season with Miami. Appearing in 64 games, he shot 43 percent from the field, averaging ten points per game. He also dished out two assists per outing. Both marked his career high. From three, Martin knocked down 35 percent of his attempts.
Martin’s NBA journey started as an undrafted prospect out of Nevada. He joined the Charlotte Hornets on a two-way contract, splitting time with the organization’s G League affiliate.
After spending two seasons with the Hornets, Martin was waived ahead of the 2021-2022 season. He was given another chance with the Heat, landing a two-way deal. Eventually, Martin became a rotational piece, averaging over 25 minutes per game.
With the Pistons in need of proven veterans to surround Cade Cunningham with, Martin could be an interesting free agency option.
MIAMI (WSVN) – Two young people were rushed to the hospital after being shot in the City of Miami.
Police and Fire Rescue responded to the area of Northwest 13th Avenue and Fifth Street on Thursday night.
According to police, the two victims called police from separate locations, but when detectives arrived, they only found the scene at Northwest 13th Avenue.
7News cameras were rolling when paramedics rushed in the two victims to the emergency room at Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center.
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An investigation is underway into the incident.
Please check back on WSVN.com and 7News for more details on this developing story.
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The Miami Dolphins’ 2025 season was less than ideal as the team stumbled its way to a 7-10 record. Miami now heads into the 2026 offseason with changes across the front office and coaching staff, including a new general manager, Jon-Eric Sullivan, and a new head coach, Jeff Hafley. They have question marks up and down the roster, and they have a mess of a salary cap.
While 2025 was a rough season for Miami, not everything was miserable. The Dolphins made several offseason moves, including signing free agents to bolster their roster. Which free agent acquisition was the best?
Cornerback Jack Jones and offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill could be in the conversation as Miami’s best free agent addition. Jones started all 17 games for Miami, recording 77 tackles with two forced fumbles, six passes defensed, and one interception. Brunskill played in 16 games, starting just five times, but when the Dolphins introduced him to the lineup as a sixth offensive lineman, the running game took off. He was instrumental to Miami finding any sense of identity on offense this past year.
But I will suggest kicker Riley Patterson may be the right answer here. Originally signed to the practice squad at the end of training camp, the addition of Patterson filled a vacancy created when incumbent Jason Sanders sustained an injury that turned out to be a season-long issue. A journeyman kicker, Patterson spent time with five other teams over the previous four seasons before catching on with Miami. As the Dolphins’ kicker, Patterson set a new team record for field goal accuracy, converting on 93.1 percent of his kicks – surpassing Sanders’ 92.3 percent from the 2020 season.
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Note: As was pointed out to me in the comments, I originally omitted cornerback Rasul Douglas from this list. Douglas signed a one-year contract with Miami and immediately slotted into the starting lineup. He played in 15 games, starting 13, with 62 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, 13 passes defensed, and two interceptions. Complete oversight on my part. I still would go with Patterson as my top choice, but Douglas should have been in the article.
Who do you have as Miami’s best free agent addition from last year? Let us know in the comments below.
Thelma Gibson, a South Florida trailblazer in health care, education and community leadership, has died at 99.
Gibson passed away Wednesday at her home, surrounded by family and a priest, according to her niece, Misty Brown. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Born in 1926 in Coconut Grove, Gibson grew up with a strong emphasis on education. She said her mother encouraged her and her siblings to pursue schooling so they would not have to work low-paying domestic jobs.
After graduating from nursing school in 1947, Gibson was hired at Jackson Memorial Hospital. But when she arrived, she said she was told she could not work in the operating room because of segregation and was instead directed to gain experience on the hospital’s “colored floors.”
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Undeterred, Gibson built a nursing career that spanned more than three decades, saying she cherished the time she spent caring for others.
Beyond her medical work, Gibson served on numerous boards and committees and became a key community leader. She founded Miami-Dade County’s first Women’s Chamber of Commerce and, following the race riots that devastated Liberty City in the early 1980s, she and her husband launched Black Investors of Dade County to help rebuild the community.
Family members said Gibson considered her service to her community and her church, Christ Episcopal, among her greatest accomplishments.
Gibson often described herself simply as a proud American committed to helping others — a legacy her family says will endure for generations.
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