3:33pm: The Pacers have officially signed Martin, according to a team press release.
9:17am: The Pacers intend to add free agent forward Cody Martin to their roster, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). According to Scotto, Martin will be signed using a hardship exception, which means he’ll receive a 10-day contract.
Martin, 30 spent five-and-a-half seasons in Charlotte from 2019-25 before being sent to the Suns at February’s trade deadline along with Vasilije Micic in exchange for Jusuf Nurkic. The 6’6″ forward established himself early in his career as a versatile defender who could contribute in a variety of ways — he averaged 7.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals in 26.3 minutes per game for the Hornets in 2021/22, posting a .482/.384/.701 shooting line in 71 total outings.
However, Martin battled injuries that limited him to just 35 total games over the course of the next two seasons. He bounced back to some extent in 2024/25, making 53 appearances for Charlotte and Phoenix, but his shooting percentages dipped to 41.8% on field goal tries and 28.5% on three-pointers, below his career averages.
Waived by the Suns on June 30, Martin spent over four months on the open market and will now join an Indiana team that has been decimated by injuries in the early going this season. According to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link), the former Hornet and Sun was among the free agents who worked out for the Pacers before they signed Mac McClung last month.
The Pacers already have Jeremiah Robinson-Earl under contract via a hardship exception but would be permitted to retain Robinson-Earl while adding Martin as long as they’ve been granted a second exception.
A hardship exception, which allows a team to temporarily carry an extra player beyond the usual 15-man limit, is granted when a team has four players who have missed three consecutive games due to injuries and are expected to be sidelined for at least two more weeks. If a team has five players who fit that bill, a second hardship exception can be awarded.
Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), Obi Toppin (foot), T.J. McConnell (hamstring), Bennedict Mathurin (foot), Kam Jones (back), and Andrew Nembhard (shoulder) have all been out for at least the Pacers’ past three games. Haliburton will miss the entire season and Toppin is expected to be out until February; the timelines for the others aren’t entirely clear, but if at least three of them are projected to miss two more weeks, the Pacers qualify for a second hardship exception.
Martin will earn $165,197 on a 10-day contract, while Indiana carries a cap hit of $131,970.