At face value, a young and rebuilding Houston Rockets team has no incentive to trade 21-year-old forward KJ Martin. After all, athletic role players of his stature and age are the exact types of players they’re trying to acquire as franchise building blocks.
Yet, barring a contract extension, Martin will become a free agent in 2023 or 2024. Moreover, trade rumors involving Martin have swirled for months, ever since he reportedly approached the Rockets during the offseason about a potential deal due to uncertainty over his role.
