Rockets About to Trade KJ Martin?

The Houston Rockets are just a few weeks away from kicking off the season, but the team might not look how it does today when they tip off against the Atlanta Hawks on October 19.

KJ Martin, who was rumored to have requested a trade earlier this offseason, is worried that his role may decrease within the team after adding forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason in the NBA Draft. In fact, Kelly Iko of The Athletic is predicting that the team will trade Martin before the start of the season.

An aspect of all rebuilds that isn’t discussed enough is the potential for roster crunches and young players who find themselves in logjams. Such is the case with Martin. When he was drafted by the Rockets in 2020, he was seen by Houston as a young, athletic prospect who could be molded into a rotational NBA player. Two seasons later, that is still true, and Martin has played well within his role and expectations.

But looking forward, it’s difficult to see where consistent, long minutes come from. He plays the same role that Tate, Gordon, Smith and Eason will occupy. Removing Gordon from the roster makes Martin’s path to continued development clearer. But until that happens, his situation is murky.

The challenge of going in the route the Rockets have taken with an abundance of high draft picks is the lack of opportunity to develop all of them. Martin, a 2020 second-round pick, has played well during the first two seasons of his career and has a right to be concerned about his minutes coming into the season with several similar players joining the team. 

Should he stay, Martin will likely have a chance to play some minutes, but it may not be enough for him to maximize his potential. This is why Martin wants out ... the question now is whether the Rockets will fulfill his request.

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