The Nevada product struggled with his shot in his 14 games for the Valley after being traded to them at the deadline from the Charlotte Hornets.
Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we take a closer look at each player who suited up during the 2024–25 campaign. One by one, we’ll break down what went right, what went wrong, and what each player can do to take the next step heading into next season.
It took Nevada Wolfpack alum Cody Martin more than a month to suit up for the Valley after being traded to Phoenix at the trade deadline this season, not giving him much time or healthy opportunities to show what he could bring to the team as he was dealing with a sports hernia injury.
In his 14 games with the Suns, he didn’t eclipse double-digit scoring once or have a game with multiple threes. His impact was minimal, registering just one game with more than 20 minutes played for the team.
Cody Martin
- Position: Small Forward
- Vitals: 6’6”, 205 pounds, 29 years old
- Experience: 6 years
- Stats (With Phoenix): 14 GP, 3.7 PPG (35.1 FG%, 11.1 3PT%, 75.0 FT%), 3.4 RPG, 1.1 APG,
Contract Details
Martin will be entering the final year of his four-year, $31 million contract he signed with the Charlotte Hornets before the 2022-2023 season. The final year of his deal becomes fully guaranteed on June 30th.
Regular Season Recap
Martin was hurt with a sports hernia when he was acquired by the Suns for Jusuf Nurkić back in March. Playing just 14 games for the Suns, he made his debut more than a month after being traded. After being traded, he averaged 14:42 minutes a game and took just 4.1 shots. If that were his season totals excluding his time with Charlotte, it would be his lowest minutes per game and second-fewest shots per game of his career.
He wasn’t on the team long enough or played enough significant minutes to be considered a part of the problem for the Suns, but he shot 50% from the field or better in just five games for the team and under 35% in his nine other contests.
His best game for the team came in the Valley’s best win of the season, beating the eventual 64-win Cleveland Cavaliers, where he posted 4 points, six rebounds, two steals, and a block.
Biggest Strength
Martin averaged 1.3 stocks per game (steals and blocks) with the Suns in his limited minutes; his four stocks in the team’s win against the Chicago Bulls were significant during the squad’s short, but strong stint of play in the middle of March.
For his size, he’s an aggressive attacker at the glass and provided strong hustle for the team, as displayed by his strong stock numbers.
Biggest Weakness
Martin struggled to shoot efficiently in his time with the Valley. Shooting 35.1% from the field and 11.1% from deep, he couldn’t find his shot, but it’s fair to attribute that partly due to the two-month absence he had that started while he was still in Charlotte. For his career, Martin is about a 31% three-point shooter, but he barely shot a third of that on less than two attempts with the Suns
Likelihood of Return: 5
Martin is unlikely to crack the Suns’ rotation if he’s on the team next season, but if he’s on the roster, his salary and expiring contract can be used as a vehicle for the Suns to make trades with other teams. The Suns appear to be trying to get under the second apro,n and Phoenix may not guarantee his contract as a result.
Overall Grade: C-
Martin didn’t have a great Suns tenure. Was it the reason the Suns had a bad season? Absolutely not. But his play with the team was not strong enough to justify the Suns getting rid of a first-round pick just to get rid of Jusuf Nurkić. Potentially if he returns next year and has a full training camp and is healthy, he will have better production.
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