Kenyon Martin Jr. 22 yo, 6'6", 215 lbs. Selected 52nd overall in 2020 3rd year in the NBA Contract https://www.spotrac.com/nba/houston...enyon Martin Jr.,dead cap value of $1,782,621. Stats https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/martike04.html Summary KJ has been good enough to help logjam the forward rotation on a pretty bad team. He's finally earned a starting role but his play is a bit inconsistent. His contract will demand a decision: extend, trade or let him walk? The Good The Bad Aside from highlight dunks his offense isn't great. Below average shooter and handle. 31.7% from 3 on 2.7 attempts (2023) 66% career FT shooter Aside from occasional blocks he's also not a great defender. https://craftednba.com/player-traits/sieve He dunks so frequently that it kind covers up otherwise poor shooting numbers, which I guess is a positive overall but begs the question...do you invest in someone that is this flawed as a player? This and I've yet to mention.... he demanded a trade. His father seems to be heavily influencing a severe lack of awareness and I just don't think that is helping anything. Let that be someone else's headache. Just Derp's Opinion Is this really someone you want starting for the next decade? Can you envision a scenario where KJ Martin drastically improves as a shooter and defender? I don't think so. I'm looking to "sell high". I was hoping the Dunk Contest would raise his profile but even his best quality got outshined by a G-leaguer. I'm using him as a deal sweetener to bring in someone who makes a bigger difference either this offseason or next trade deadline. I don't even know what a reasonable extension would look like. 3-4 years, 20 mil? No way is he a 10+m/yr guy, not now anyway. Something like Tate's contract is a maybe. I think people got a little tired of Tate's lack of shooting, suffered from "the backup is better" syndrome with Martin because of the highlights. Maybe I'm doing the same thing... but Tari Eason is someone that may be "that guy". He's a hell-on-wheels defender and happy to hustle for his offense. He's 3-ing and D-ing very well for a rookie. Moving forward, if I had to choose 2 guys to go with at the 3 it's a pretty easy decision for Eason and Tate. I started with Martin because I think this is one of the more pressing decisions to be made. It's also a contentious one lol but hopefully people will start to call it correctly. He's a great energy and transition offense player and a pretty bad everything else player. Is that really someone you pay as a building block? Or while the iron is hot, do you deal him and try to improve another position? The rebuild is entering a new phase and people are going to have to get used to the fact that all of these young guys won't be sticking around forever. I think this one is an easy call to improve the team long-term with a short term asset.
You can actually turn him into a long term asset. This offseason the team has an option that allows them to make him a restricted free agent, allowing the team to match any offer he gets or to keep him on his current contract for another year but he becomes UFA after that final year. Making him RFA could give the team up to 4 years of control at market value which I wouldn't put much if any above what they gave Tate. Picking up next year's option gives them a productive player on a dirt cheap contract for one season. In this case, I think he'd be moved at next year's deadline. The RFA route may be the way to go because he'd be such a value contract going into the new CBA that expires after the 23/24 season & TV deal that expires after 24/25 where he'd have two more years on a low cost contract & he either contributes for you or as a trade asset down the line where you can trade him for a pick in the more distant future rather than one now when we already have too many young players needing minutes - Or maybe he develops into something more than an energy guy and you keep him. Part of what you do with Martin hinges upon who they end up with in the coming draft - if you end up with Brandon Miller or a SF with the Clippers pick or maybe both?) then you have a numbers issue at the 3 spot and a decision has to be made and I think in that scenario KM is easy to move on from - even if you did go the RFA route.
I'm not sold on him long term unless he's coming off the bench on a bench player contract. He's not championship team level starter.
So, my general assessment is that he'll be a decent forward off the bench on a good team. And, we should target a Tate style contract as you guys are saying. But, I think you're underrating KJ as a scorer. KJ Martin is the rocket's most efficient scorer. That's based on his 63% TS% but also just watching the games he's the only guy with any semblance of decent shot selection and the only perimeter player that can finish at the rim in traffic. You could say that all he does is transition dunks...but why aren't Jalen or KPJ getting 12 points of transition dunks? Also, he shot the 3 fine in his first 2 seasons. I think it will come back but I agree I don't see him becoming some sharp shooter.
I still like tate alot more Kmj still has really weak hands Dude will get stripped on the way up every time
Great thread/post. I largely agree with Derp’s assessment of KJ. I do like that he’s one of our more active players without the ball and his BBIQ is pretty decent. But agreed that his shooting, defense, hands, and size limit him quite a bit. KJ has jump out of the gym athleticism, but he’s not a guy you commit to as your starter for the next several years; not when there are longer 3’s who can handle the ball, defend and shoot better. This year further increased KJ’s value, but there are at least 4 guys 21 or younger on this roster that we are more committed to developing, plus whomever we draft this year. If our GM is competent KJ will be moved this offseason as part of a package for players and/or future assets. it’s time to cash in.
I agree that it MAY be time to cash in on Martin. But not for draft assets. It may not be that Eason is the answer, but he has 3 more years on rookie scale and is at least worth a look as a starter. There appears to be some potential there, and one expects more improvement from a 2nd year player than a 4th year guy
Has the highest bbiq on the roster after Sengun. He is pretty limited but aware of his strengths and play to them. His two man game is always above average regardless of who the other guy is. Just put him in a room with a random bb player for a week, he will adapt to other dude's game and demonstrate it on the court.
I’m not sure he’ll ever be more than what he is, but what he is is a great 6th man type. Maybe even a starter on the right offense. He pretty much only scores on straight line drives, back door cuts, etc. but he is a pretty damn good finisher (even when not dunking). He also provides some weak side defense. I wouldn’t keep him if he was the key to a big trade. But he’s definitely a great piece to have — and at minimum provides some excitement. The KJ Sengun chemistry is perfecto.
I'll never be eager to trade away a young player who has shown improvement... unless we have to. And since we don't have to, then I'll keep him and even extend him until we do have to get rid of him.
He's definitely not untradeable but I'd try and get him on team friendly contract. He's 22 so he can get better, but it's pretty unlikely he'll become a super role player, much less top 30. If he can improve his handle a bit, becomes a better defender, get to 35% 3PT, and +70% FT then he'll be a good role player and trade asset.
Every player on the team is tradable in the right deal; I think KJ is an appealing asset to trade because he holds more value to the rest of the league than anyone other than Jalen, Sengun, Tari, and I guess Jabari. The reason he has trade value is because he is actually, right now, good; and he plays a high value position. For an off ball forward he’s acceptably mediocre at everything on the basketball court, except for his elite and functional rim pressure (which comes from athleticism but also good feel offensively - he moves into the right spaces all the time). You could argue that he is the only Rocket who, today, would be a net positive rotation player on a contender. Maybe Tari is the other one. (Jalen, Sengun, and KPJ wouldn’t have the ball on elite teams, and would be attacked on defense. Tate can’t shoot) His upside is probably capped because the handle and the shot aren’t projectable, but then again he has shown clear improvement as a player every year so he might still be going up. Moving him in the right deal for real value would be a big success story for the organization.
Interesting take, I'm not sure that I want to play the long game like that with him though. I feel like the point of diminishing returns is already upon us. KJ Martin is the Rocket's most dunkiest dunker. He's a bad shooter and thankfully, does not shoot often. He dunks enough to have nice looking efficiency numbers but he's not a center so it's not really a positive. He does it well but you designate who that guy is so you don't have 4 guys cutting to the basket at once. I would say, "He is our cutter." Jabari Smith has also been picking this up here and there but let's be honest, it doesn't take a #3 pick to cut behind a defender focusing on Sengun. Interesting take here too. At what point does the logjam hinder everyone's development though? Is he? I think he would've been a godsend to the Harden era teams that desperately needed an injection of youth and athleticism. I'm looking to leverage him against that type of team. I can't agree with the "only net positive on a contender" line though. Take almost anyone of these guys and put them in a championship level team, they'd all look so much better. Tate can't shoot? Pot, meet Kettle. Honestly I'm not sure what you guys think he's improving at or if it's just a misread on his increased playing time.
Some of the other guys barely ever do it. You shouldn't "designate one guy", the whole team should be moving.
Nah man. It's one guy on the floor who does it not the whole team in unison. You can't have a guy on the same side of the floor cutting randomly and bringing a help defender directly into the post. You don't want "shooters" cutting you want their spacing. Someone has to get back on defense too. Guys (should) have roles to play. Martin does it because he's the perfect guy to do it. He's got super bounce and sucks at shooting, also he's not a ball handler so he's going to be out of focus for a defense on occasion.
I would wait for the logjam to present itself. I don't see one yet. If we get to a point where we have too many good players who are ready to contribute to winning and we can't play them all, then I'll look at our options at that time. Personally, I don't feel like KJ isn't getting enough minutes or that he's taking away needed playing time from others.
