The Rockets don’t have an obvious incentive to trade young forward KJ Martin, who is only 21 years old and under contract at a very inexpensive rate for two more seasons. But after Houston drafted a pair of rookie forwards, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, in the 2022 first round, reports emerged this offseason that Martin might prefer a new NBA home with a more clear route to playing time.
Rockets general manager Rafael Stone had no requirement to comply, of course, and Martin has since found more playing time in the 2022-23 preseason by successfully shifting to small forward. But it remains to be seen whether that arrangement will hold going into the regular season and once Houston has its entire roster healthy.
If it does not, and should Martin try to be more aggressive in forcing his way to another team, it appears there’s no shortage of suitors.
Per Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports:
Rockets forward KJ Martin, another forward known to have interest in playing elsewhere, is one player the Suns have held ongoing talks about obtaining, sources said. Portland and Miami are two other known teams with interest in Martin.
Houston does need to clear a roster spot by next week’s deadline for offseason rosters to be trimmed, so it’s not implausible for something to come together quickly — particularly if one of those other teams is willing to pay a premium. However, the far more likely scenario appears to be the Rockets and Martin giving their current arrangement a trial run, and perhaps revisiting trade scenarios closer to the February 2023 trade deadline if things aren’t working out.
Martin is averaging 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 steals in 26.0 minutes this preseason. He’s started two of three games for the Rockets and has been quite efficient, shooting 52.2% overall and 45.5% on 3-pointers while only averaging 1.0 turnovers per game.
Related
Rockets increasingly experimenting with KJ Martin at small forward
KJ Martin on future in Houston: ‘I’m just here to do my job’
List
Jalen Green responds to apparent ‘winning player’ podcast slight
Story originally appeared on Rockets Wire