Rockets announce trade for KJ Martin Jr., son of Kenyon Martin

The Rockets announced their trade for 19-year-old prospect KJ Martin Jr., who is the son of former NBA forward Kenyon Martin.

The Houston Rockets on Wednesday announced their trade for KJ Martin Jr., an athletic 19-year-old prospect drafted at No. 52 overall in the 2020 draft. Martin is the son of Kenyon Martin, the NBA’s No. 1 pick in 2000.

To acquire the guard/forward, the team is giving up cash considerations and a 2021 second-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers.

A three-star [high school] recruit from Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles, Martin originally committed to play collegiately for Vanderbilt before opting for a postgraduate year at IMG Academy.

In the team’s announcement, here’s how the Rockets describe him:

Martin (6-6, 215) was the 52nd overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2020 NBA Draft. He spent last season with IMG Academy’s post-graduate team, which posted a 29-3 record, and averaged 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 69.1% from inside-the-arc.

The 19-year-old is the son of Kenyon Martin, who was the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. Martin Jr. attended Sierra Canyon School in California, where he was teammates with Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cassius Stanley, who was selected by Indiana with the 54th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

Here’s Martin’s summary from the Rookie Wire big board:

Kenyon Martin Jr. tested well at the combine, recording a 3/4 sprint and max vert both well above-average for his position. Martin has been described as “arguably the best athlete in the draft” and he did much better on the shooting drills than many expected, shooting 71% in the 3-point endurance drill. The main thing that is holding him back is just his body of work.

Martin spoke with Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston after the trade was made official on Wednesday. While he said he felt pressure in his younger days from his family name, he has recently used it to his benefit.

“When I was younger I felt pressure, but now I take it as an advantage,” Martin told Berman. “He knows the game very well. So I feel like I have that step on a lot of other guys in this draft this year.” Martin clarified that he goes by KJ, rather than Kenyon (his father’s name), to avoid confusion. “I’m kind of my own person,” he commented in the interview.

Martin said that some of his father’s close friends in the NBA, including Chauncey Billups, Carmelo Anthony, JR Smith, and Allen Iverson, had helped in his basketball development. In all, the elder Martin had a long and distinguished career over 15 professional seasons.

Financial terms for Martin’s contract were not disclosed, but he is believed to be making the NBA’s minimum salary.

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