To say the least, the Rockets have a crowded frontcourt. Even after trading Christian Wood to open up a starting slot for Alperen Sengun, Houston also has other players they’d like to get significant minutes for — headlined by whichever elite forward remains on the board when the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NBA draft is on the clock Thursday night.
There’s also the matter of Jae’Sean Tate, who is entering his third NBA season, and second-year forward Usman Garuba, along with perhaps selections at No. 17 and/or No. 26 in Thursday’s first round.
That leaves 21-year-old forward KJ Martin in a potentially awkward spot. In two years, the athletic second-round pick from the 2020 NBA draft has played relatively well with the Rockets, averaging 9.0 points (52.4% FG, 36.0% on 3-pointers) and 4.3 rebounds in 22.0 minutes.
With two seasons left on his original contract, many assumed Martin to be an ideal fit with a rebuilding club like Houston, which is prioritizing minutes and development for younger players. But having the volume of young players that Houston does can lead to a minutes crunch.
That’s why, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Martin and his representation recently spoke with Rockets general manager Rafael Stone about a potential trade to another team. Iko elaborates:
With the reality of the incoming No. 3 pick and possibly more, second-year forward Kenyon Martin Jr. recently approached Rockets management to discuss the possibility of a trade from the franchise, sources said. The nature of the conversation was candid. With the potential moves following Thursday’s draft, the sudden reality is there isn’t as clear of a path to minutes for Martin in the rotation.
It must be stated that there’s no bad blood between the two parties. … But Martin is at a stage in his career where he needs minutes to continue to develop, something which might not be as clear anymore in Houston. There are a number of teams — playoff contenders included — that have registered interest in Martin in the past, sources said, with his combination of age, athleticism and untapped potential deemed as attractive.
With the reality of the incoming No.3 pick and possibly more, second-year forward Kenyon Martin Jr. recently approached Rockets management to discuss the possibility of a trade from the franchise, sources told @TheAthletic. https://t.co/WoVo5OOqop
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) June 20, 2022
From Houston’s perspective, there’s no need to force a trade in the 2022 offseason, since Martin is under contract for two more years. If the market isn’t ideal at this time, Stone and the Rockets could easily opt to revisit the trade options at the 2023 trade deadline or offseason.
Yet, it’s also because of Martin’s contractual status that now might be the best time to trade him. Since he’s under contract for two more years, that could lead to many more opportunities, as compared to a scenario where they wait until only one season is left until his free agency — when he could presumably leave a new team without compensation.
In theory, Martin could potentially be added to a package of draft picks for the Rockets to trade up in the 2022 first round, which is something they reportedly are trying to do. Stay tuned!
