Kevin Martin Reportedly Signs with San Antonio Spurs

Kevin Martin and the Minnesota Timberwolves agreed to terms on a buyout on March 1, per ESPN.com's Marc Stein, and the veteran shooting guard signed with the Spurs on Friday night, according to a report by Nick Moyle and Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.

According to Stein on March 2, the San Antonio Spurs were a "strong favorite" to land Martin, while the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks "are also in pursuit." 

Based on prospective fit and team needs, the Spurs are a logical front-runner for Martin at this stage in the process. 

Not only is sixth man Manu Ginobili still sidelined after undergoing testicular surgery, but the Spurs could stand to benefit from some reinforcements on the perimeter even when he does return. 

The Spurs currently rank 24th in made threes (7.4 per game) and 29th in free-throw attempts (20.1 per game), and Martin specializes in hoisting up long-range attempts and drawing contact on dribble-drives. For his career, Martin shoots 38.5 percent from beyond the arc and attempts an average of 5.8 free throws per game. 

So while Martin may be averaging an underwhelming 10.6 points on a career-worst 37.7 percent shooting from the field, his numbers could climb steadily playing in an offense that prizes ball movement and spacing. 

The Rockets, Hawks and Mavericks would all have been intriguing fits should Martin be in search of a larger role upon arrival, but signing with the Spurs offers him the best chance to compete for a title.