This season is going about as well as many expected it to for the Houston Rockets. Houston isn’t winning very many games, as they are in last place in the Western Conference, and only the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons have worse records. But with only one player in their rotation, Eric Gordon, having more than three years of experience in the NBA, this is what you’d expect.
They are still a year or two away from making any reason noise in the Western Conference playoff picture as this season was more about the development of the young players on the team. In that regard, it has gone relatively well.
Jalen Green has some inefficiencies shooting-wise to work through, but a 20-year-old averaging 21.6 points per game in his second season in the NBA is nothing to scoff at. Kevin Porter Jr. continues to grow to become a full-time point guard, and Alperen Sengun is also breaking out in an expanded role. There are also high hopes for Jabari Smith Jr., who was selected No. 3 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft and is still finding his way as a professional.
There is a lot to like about the future outlook of the Rockets, but not everyone is as chipper as other players. One of the more disgruntled guys on the team is Kenyon Martin Jr. He requested a trade before the season and the Rockets declined it, saying they wouldn’t trade him.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: KJ Martin & Houston Rockets Updates
He was seeking a larger role elsewhere, and thus far, he has received that this season. Martin is playing a career-high 24.0 minutes per game and handling the expanded role well. However, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Martin still wants out of town despite his role growing.
“Forward KJ Martin has also hoped to be moved to a team that can give him a more significant role. His minutes have climbed in Houston this season, but multiple sources believe he still wants out. Since both players have team-favorable contracts (Gordon has one more season, but it’s at a non-guaranteed $20.9 million; Martin has a team option at $1.9 million) and are viable on-court contributors, the Rockets won’t make a deal they don’t like.”
Martin, a second-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of IMG Academy, looks like a rotation player at the very least. Given his age and affordable contract, the Rockets would look to get some real value in exchange for him.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: KJ Martin & Houston Rockets Updates
There are teams around the NBA who do like Martin, so a market would certainly be there if the Rockets did ever make him available. If he can become the consistent 3-point shooter he showed flashes of in the first two seasons of his career, Martin would be the versatile, prototypical 3-and-D type of player that teams cannot get enough of.
