"Stop just saying anything" - Former No. 1 pick's son KJ Martin shuts down fans' narrative on departure from Houston
KJ Martin is sick of some fans claiming that his departure from the Houston Rockets was orchestrated by his father, Kenyon Martin. KJ was traded to the LA Clippers last offseason before ending up with the Philadelphia 76ers via an early season deal.
In a tweet, KJ was upset with fans saying that his father is the reason why the Rockets got rid of him. He was coming off the best season of his career when Houston unexpectedly traded for two first-round picks.
"It is what it is💯 On to bigger and better things god willing! So yall can stop just saying anything," KJ wrote.
KJ Martin has nothing but love for the Houston Rockets as he shared in a separate post. He played the first three years of his career in H-Town after they acquired him on draft day in 2020. He was the No. 52 pick by the Sacramento Kings out of the IMG Academy.
Martin had his best year during the 2022-23 season, averaging 12.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. The Rockets were entering the next phase of their rebuild and could have used the forward as an energy guy off the bench.
"I loved playing in Houston and wish I could’ve stayed but things happen in the NBA and you have to move on to different situations with other teams and figure it out," Martin wrote.
The Houston Rockets traded KJ Martin to the LA Clippers last summer and only played two games in Hollywood. The Philadelphia 76ers acquired him as part of the blockbuster James Harden deal, playing 58 games as a reserve and starting two of them.
Martin's father is a former NBA All-Star and first overall pick. It's unclear how much influence he has with the Rockets, Clippers or the Sixers, but he played one season with the Clippers.
"I'm tired of seeing y'all say that my dad forced me out of playing in Houston. He had nothing to do with it. He has his own opinion to say what he wants like everyone else does. It was strictly NBA business on why I got traded noting more nothing less!" KJ posted.
KJ Martin set to become a free agent
KJ Martin will not have a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers once the season is over. Martin will be a free agent for the first time in his career. He's an undersized forward but a capable defender who uses his vertical and athleticism effectively.
Martin was very versatile for the Sixers as a small ball center despite his six-foot-six frame. The Sixers had to find ways around Joel Embiid's injury, and one of them was playing the second-generation NBA player as center.
The 23-year-old was frustrated with his lack of playing time at time but found comfort in learning the game from a different perspective. He's relieved at entering free agency because he can control what he does next after getting traded twice last season.