When Houston was making room for its free agency additions in the 2023 NBA offseason, fourth-year forward KJ Martin was traded from the Rockets to the Clippers.
Early in the 2023-24 regular season, Martin was dealt again — this time, from Los Angeles to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the blockbuster James Harden trade.
Now 22 years old, Martin is playing for winning teams this season. That’s a far contrast from his three years with the rebuilding Rockets of the Stephen Silas era. That’s the good news.
The bad news is Martin hasn’t found a consistent place in the rotation because of those superior rosters. After averaging 28 minutes per game in Houston last season, he’s averaging 6.3 minutes this year, and he hasn’t played at all in a handful of games.
So, as the athletic young forward returns to his former NBA home, it’s safe to say there are likely some mixed emotions.
Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire, our sister website, was among the reporters in Philadelphia who spoke to Martin about his return.
“Going back, I’m super excited,” Martin said, smiling. “I get to go back and see you’re old teammates. Obviously, some of the media people, video people, weight coaches, and staff, and go back to a place I spent three years and play against a team that gave me a chance.”
Martin said he still keeps in contact with many Rockets.
“Yeah. I talk to them all the time,” he beamed. “Whenever they play, I try to watch their games if we’re not playing, so I stay tuned in.”
Though the Rockets had their share of critics over Martin’s three seasons there, he says his effort never waned. Among his comments:
My three years there, obviously, we didn’t have the best seasons, but I went out there and competed and I put on for the city and gave the fans a show. Houston always got a spot in my heart, for sure.
A lot of people put out that our team — because we were losing every game, we weren’t learning anything. Like we just played the wrong way, and this and that. Me? I took every game seriously. Whatever the game plan was, I stuck to the game plan, and I played the right way every game and for my first three seasons, I just tried to build on it game by game, season by season, to become a better player.
Carlin’s complete story can be read at Sixers Wire.
Friday’s tip between the Sixers (21-9) and Rockets (15-14) is at 7 p.m. Central from Toyota Center. There may be a possibility for Martin to earn rotation minutes, since the 76ers are without two key frontcourt pieces (Joel Embiid and Nicolas Batum) due to injuries.
