How Nets' Tyrese Martin Has Impressed Since Two-Way Contract Conversion

Following a Nov. 27 road victory over the Phoenix Suns, Tyrese Martin had cemented Kings County as home. Martin, 26, led the Brooklyn Nets to an early-season win behind his career-high 30-point performance — including an 80% hitrate from beyond the arc.

Fast forward to late February, and Martin's two-way contract was converted into a standard NBA contract. No one was more delighted by the news than his head coach, Jordi Fernandez.

"Nobody deserves it more than him. He's worked the whole summer. He's about what we're trying to build here. He helps us build the culture," Fernandez said of the transaction via Sharif Phillips-Keaton on X. "He's had big games, but he's about the right things, working every day."

Now a full-time rotational piece, Martin has begun to emerge as potentially Brooklyn's best depth weapon. Since the beginning of March, the UConn product is averaging 14 points per game while shooting 52% from the field and 40.3% from beyond the arc. In the six games those statistics were drawn from, Martin put up 23, 17 and 14-point performances. He played less than 20 minutes in just one of the matchups, a 105-102 loss at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets.

Martin's success highlights the Nets' approach post-rebuild commitment. This past summer, general manager Sean Marks was hellbent on acquiring young, often-overlooked talent in hopes of finding a gem. Martin certainly falls into that category, as would other key contributors of Fernandez's lineup (see Keon Johnson, Ziaire Williams, Trendon Watford).

"[Martin's] got to continue to do what he’s doing. That’s why he’s earned what he’s earned. We don’t need to see anything completely different. It’s just keep working, and keep working along the lines that we established with his agreement," Fernandez continued.

Amid a purgatorial stretch for the Nets — one where they could either attempt another postseason push or remain content securing a top draft choice — one thing appears certain: Martin has the opportunity to become a foundational player as Brooklyn plots its next move.

Martin and the Nets will be back in action tomorrow against the Chicago Bulls at 8 p.m. EST.

Want to join the discussion? Like Nets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Nets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.