Kenyon Martin Jr. Wants Trade From Rockets; Could Mavs Expand Christian Wood Deal?
The Dallas Mavericks got their upgraded big man last week when they agreed to trade four end-of-the-bench players and the No. 26 in Thursday’s NBA Draft for Christian Wood. Due to the league’s Stepien rule, which prevents teams from trading first-round picks in consecutive years, the deal can’t officially go through until the Mavs make a selection with their pick.
This could potentially be a good thing for Dallas, as it’s still searching for wing depth, and a solid, young Rockets wing might have just become available.
According to a report from The Athletic, 21-year-old forward Kenyon Martin Jr. approached the Rockets’ front office about being traded from the team with a new wave of young talent coming in with picks No. 3, 17 and 26.
If the Rockets wanted to give Martin Jr. his wish while also getting a young, athletic prospect in return as his replacement, why not expand the Wood trade with the Mavs on Thursday night? Here is what the revised trade would look like:
Mavs receive: Christian Wood, Kenyon Martin Jr.
Rockets receive: Josh Green, Boban Marjanovic, Trey Burke, Sterling Brown, Marquese Chriss and the No. 26 pick
Green is still raw offensively, but he’s the equivalent of the Energizer Bunny on defense from the moment he steps on the court to the moment he leaves it. Although offense isn’t Green’s strong suit, the Rockets have experienced firsthand what kind of potential Green can have on offense, as the 21-year-old scored 17 points on 6-7 shooting from the field in Houston on Jan. 7.
Martin averaged 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 79 games for the Rockets this season while playing just 21 minutes per game. He shot 53.3 percent from the field, including 35.7 percent from deep. Although Martin Jr. is further along in his development than Green is, he’s also played nearly double the number of total minutes Green has in two seasons. If Martin Jr. isn’t going to be happy in Houston, this could be an easy-fix option for both sides to consider.
You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg
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