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.
