Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the Los Angeles Clippers entered this offseason with one of their priorities being to get younger and more athletic. It took some time, but the Clippers made strides towards that goal with the addition of KJ Martin in a trade with the Houston Rockets.
Kenyon Jr., who is the son of former New Jersey Nets and Clippers forward Kenyon Martin, had spent his first three seasons in the NBA with the Houston Rockets. From playing just 45 games his rookie year to playing all 82 and starting 49 this season, KJ Martin has developed into a solid, multidimensional forward that fills an immediate void for the Clippers.
Martin expects to make an immediate impact for his new-look Clippers instantly.
“Defensively, on-ball, obviously you can get better,” KJ Martin told ClutchPoints inside Las Vegas' Thomas & Mack Center. “Offensively, being more aggressive off the dribble and obviously still doing some of the same stuff I do. I’m not super needy of the ball, I’m gonna go try to get my teammates open, whether it’s setting screens or running the floor, whatever it may be, and then I’ll feed off of them.”
KJ Martin started eight games for the Rockets last season before coming the full-time starter in January 2023. In 49 starts last season, Martin averaged 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 57.4 percent from the field. He did show flashes as a shooter, knocking down 36 percent of his threes in his first two years, but saw a dip to 31.5 percent on higher volume last season.
With the Clippers, Martin expects to get better looks and more opportunities to attack closeouts with the attention
“I've felt great, I think my percentage dropped a little bit this year,” Martin. “But I mean, it's not a hard thing to go in the gym. You know what I'm saying, just get a lot of shots up. And that's what I've really been focusing on this summer. Especially now, understanding who's on my team, just from being around and watching them just being able to space the floor and hit shots. But also do what I do and get to the rim.”
At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, Martin is a bit undersized to be used as a traditional power forward. He's been used mainly as a small forward during his Rockets tenure, but could work well as a floor-spacing wing in small-ball lineups featuring Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Martin is hoping his skillset — whether it be as a creator, a scorer, a floor-spacer, or a high-level defender — will be valued more than his size.
“I feel like it just depends on obviously what size you are, how athletic,” Martin explained. “Everyone can’t just play three through five, you feel me? But I feel like at the same time, guys should be able to go out, whatever position if it makes sense for them. They should be able to go out and compete at a high level because at the end of the day it’s basketball and you’re a pro and you should be able to do multiple things.”
KJ Martin grew up in Los Angeles, went to local high schools Chaminade and Sierra Canyon, before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He was selected 52nd overall by the Sacramento Kings and traded to the Houston Rockets for a future second round pick and cash.
Now, Martin returns home to Southern California to play for one of the team his old man, Kenyon Martin, used to play for.
“My dad always helped me out,” he added regarding the decision to go to IMG Academy. But really, the decision was on me. We talked about it before, like, ‘are you sure you're gonna go do this, you're going to go this route with IMG?’ It was either IMG or Australia. We talked. And he was like, ‘if you want to, like we're gonna do it, and we're gonna make sure to do it the right way.' So it was my decision. And he helped me throughout the whole process. I mean, he played 15 years. He's been in the game for a long time, and I was around growing up. So he's helped me a lot. But once I got in, he kind of took a step back. And if I obviously need help still to whatever, want to pick his brain apart, I can always pick up the phone. But he kind of let me figure it out.”
The prospect of playing for a winner has long intrigued KJ Martin. After winning two Open Division State Championships in high school, Martin has seen his Rockets accumulate a 59-177 record in three seasons, never winning more than 22 games in a season.
Alongside Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook, KJ Martin sees a real chance to develop his game and compete for an NBA Championship at the same time.
“I've seen them play small ball five and everything. I think I fit well. Obviously [Paul George and [Kawhi Leonard], they’re going to be Hall of Famers. Russ gets up and down the floor. So I feel like I'd be able to get up and down the floor with him and help PG and Kawhi get open shots and I'll feed off of them.
“For me it plays better, I think personally, playing with older guys, they’re more experienced. My dad played also as I grew up. [I've been] around the game and everything, so I feel like it’s gonna help me a lot. Just learning from the older guys and get some knowledge.”
The Rockets exercised the fourth and final year of KJ Martin's contract before he was traded, and he's set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024.
When asked about a potential extension, Martin said that's something he and the team will discuss. A source confirmed to ClutchPoints that there's a desire to make this a long-term partnership.
“Yeah, for sure. I mean, I think it's a great fit for me. Obviously, it's home. So it'll be a conversation for sure. I just got to go out and ball, and hopefully they keep me.”
It's in the Clippers' and Martin's best interests to negotiate an extension before free agency. The Kawhi Leonard-Paul George tandem would greatly benefit from a player of Martin's skillset, and it'd be one fewer thing for both sides to worry about.
The only thing left to see if whether Martin will come off the bench or start for the Clippers. Martin started the final 41 games for the Rockets and became accustomed to that role, but he understands this is a different situation with one priority now that he's playing with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George: win.
“I just go out and whatever time I'm given, I’m just going out to compete.”
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