Former Houston Rockets player denies rumors of his departure

The NBA is a business. It may be a cold place.

It is also a rumor mill. When a player leaves a team, speculation about his departure is likely to follow. Why did the relationship fall apart?

Take KJ Martin. When he left the Houston Rockets, speculation was rife. Some have suggested that his father, Kenyon Martin, a retired NBA All-Star, was responsible for his timely departure.

KJ Martin is tired of hearing it.

Martin Sr. certainly has his opinions. He expresses them freely. The former number one pick is one of the most outspoken retired players around. When his son was with the Rockets, he was not happy with the team’s intentional defeat.

It’s reasonable to assume that Martin Jr. wouldn’t like the impression that his father orchestrated his departure from Houston. He naturally wants to be respected as an independent adult.

Should we believe what he says?

We think so.

Last summer, the Rockets jettisoned many young players. Martin Jr. joined Usman Garuba, Josh Christopher and TyTy Washington in finding new NBA homes.

Yet Martin Jr. was a different case. He had shown more potential than any of these other young players. In 2022-23, Martin Jr. averaged 12.7 points on 63.5% true shooting (TS%) in 28.0 minutes per game.

There is still some noise in these figures. A tanking team can provide young players with the opportunity to play above their pay grade. Martin Jr. is an atypical running and jumping athlete with a functional jumper. He’s still an imperfect player.

Martin Jr. was a poor perimeter defender during his time in Houston. He was inclined to suspect decision-making on both sides of the court. Martin Jr. was extremely entertaining, but he didn’t make enough of an impact in the victory for the Rockets to enter phase two of their rebuild.

So they sent him to the Los Angeles Clippers for a pair of second-round picks. The Clippers sent him to the 76ers shortly after. Despite his potential, Martin Jr. didn’t find a fit at either spot.

We can’t help but wonder what his father thinks about this.