How Jamal Cain can become the Heat’s next Caleb Martin

In advance of the start of training camp on Oct. 3, AllUCanHeat is analyzing the Miami Heat player-by-player. This installment focuses on Jamal Cain, who hopes to carve out a rotation role this season.

At the end of Miami Heat practice, it was common to see Jamal Cain going 1 on 1 against a more experienced teammate like Jimmy Butler, Victor Oladipo or Caleb Martin.

Cain, a relative unknown in Miami’s development pipeline, never backed down. He shouted back at Butler, challenged Oladipo off the dribble and dared to dunk on Martin. Since Cain joined the Heat on a two-way contract in 2022, his NBA-level experience was mostly limited to these practices and scrimmages.

The 24-year-old forward appeared in only 18 games last season, for a total of 240 minutes and scored 98 total points. There have been flashes, like when the 6-foot-7 forward guarded Kevin Durant in preseason or scored 18 points against the Magic in April, but most of his days were spent with the team’s G League affiliate in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In 25 games with the Skyforce, Cain averaged 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds.

This was enough for Cain to earn a featured role with the Heat’s Summer League team, where he averaged 15.5 points on 4.8 rebounds on 51.5% shooting in five games between Sacramento and Las Vegas. In August, the Heat brought Cain back on a two-way deal, while leaving open the possibility that he can be promoted to a standard, 15-man roster contract with a strong training camp.

If Cain were in the NFL he’d be a cornerback. He has a spindly frame but uses his long arms to knock away passes and create opportunities to run in the open floor. He averaged 1.3 steals per game in the G League, and he’s developed as an outside shooter during his time with the organization (37.5% on 3s for Sioux Falls last season).

Coaches want him to add weight and get better moving without the ball. In a system that turned out Martin and Derrick Jones Jr., there’s a chance for Cain to earn minutes with his defense.

Jamal Cain

Position: Forward
Ht./Wt.: 6-7/205
College: Marquette, Oakland
Years pro: 1
2022-23: 5.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 13.3 minutes in 18 games
Contract status: Two-way contract