Will the Pacers use the injury exception to sign the former Suns forward who was a mess last season?

According to HoopsHype reporter Michael Scotto, the Indiana Pacers are interested in signing forward Cody Martin, who is currently in free agency. The Pacers are expected to sign Martin through a hardship exception, which means that what Martin will get from the Pacers should be a ten-day short contract.

Martin was born in September 1995. He is 29 years old, 198cm tall and weighs 93kg. He is a forward player from the University of Nevada selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft. Before this year's trade deadline, the Phoenix Suns completed a deal with the Hornets. The Hornets sent Martin, Vasilije Micic, a 2026 first-round swap right and a second-round pick to the Suns, and received Jusuf Nurkic from the Suns. After joining the Suns, Martin played a total of 14 times in the NBA regular season, averaging 14.7 minutes per game. He averaged 3.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. He also had 0.6 turnovers and 1.6 fouls. He shot 35.1% from the field, 11.1% from the three-point range, and 75% from the free throw line.

Due to his unsatisfactory performance after joining the Suns and suffering from injuries, Martin was eventually waived by the Suns this summer. In fact, Martin's situation in the free market is not ideal, and he has never been able to find a job. In fact, according to previous news, Martin had a trial training with the Pacers last month, but the Pacers ultimately chose to sign backcourt player Mac McClung. It seems that Martin left a deep impression on the Pacers' front office during the trial, which was also an important factor in their choice to sign him. The Pacers currently also have Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, a player signed by the team using the hardship exception. However, judging from the current situation, the Pacers still have a chance to apply for a second hardship exception.

According to NBA rules, when four players on a team miss three consecutive games due to injuries and are expected to continue to be absent for more than two weeks, the team will be granted a hardship exception. If a team has five players with such injuries, then the team will be allowed to receive another injury exception. The Pacers' current roster includes Tyrese Haliburton with an Achilles injury, Obi Toppin with a foot injury, T.J. McConnell with a hamstring injury, Bennedict Mathurin with a foot injury, Kam Jones with a back injury and Andrew Nembhard with a shoulder injury. Nembhard), this should be the reason why they were able to successfully apply for the second hardship exception. I don’t know what kind of performance Martin can perform after joining the Pacers who are full of injuries. Can he prove his strength and gain a firm foothold in the team?