Son of ex-NBA All-Star reportedly seeking trade from his team

Jan 31, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr. (6) warms up before the game against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The son of a former NBA star is looking to carve out his own path … on a different team.

Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported on Monday that Houston Rockets forward Kenyon Martin Jr. recently approached management to discuss a possible trade. Iko adds that there is no bad blood between the two sides but that Martin simply needs more minutes to continue developing.

Martin, 21, is the son of retired ex-NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin, best known for his time as a New Jersey Net in the early 2000s. The younger Martin was just a late second-round pick in 2020 but established himself as a legitimate NBA talent in Houston. He has averaged 9.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per game over the last two seasons.

This latest development probably has something to do with who the Rockets intend to pick in this year’s draft. But in any case, there should be plenty of rival teams lining up to pursue Martin, an efficient scorer with good length at 6-foot-7 and highlight-worthy athleticism.