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Detroit Pistons Land Veteran Forward in Trade With 76ers

The Detroit Pistons have a new forward.
Justin Grasso|
Dec 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward KJ Martin (1) reacts during introductions before the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the 76ers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward KJ Martin (1) reacts during introductions before the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the 76ers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

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The Detroit Pistons are adding a new player.

According to Marc Stein, the Pistons are bringing on the veteran forward KJ Martin and two second-round picks from the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Sixers made the trade to get Martin’s salary off the books.

In Martin, the Pistons are getting a 24-year-old player with plenty of experience through his first five NBA seasons. Without any college experience, Martin became a second-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. He was selected originally by the Sacramento Kings before getting dealt to the Houston Rockets.

In three seasons with the Rockets, Martin appeared in 206 games. He averaged 11 points, five rebounds, and one assist, making 55 percent of his shots from the field.

Ahead of last season, the Rockets traded Martin to the Los Angeles Clippers. After he appeared in just two games with the Clippers, Martin was moved to the Sixers.

The young veteran didn’t have a steady role throughout his first season with the Sixers. He appeared in 58 games, averaging 12 minutes of action. Martin produced four points and two rebounds as a reserve.

The Sixers didn’t have a lack of interest in bringing Martin back when he became an unrestricted free agent this past summer. Roughly two weeks into free agency, Martin signed with the Sixers on a two-year deal.

However, Martin’s two-year, $16 million deal was widely viewed as Philadelphia’s most tradeable contract at the time. He was expected to be a name to watch he became eligible to be traded later in the year.

Throughout the start of the 2024-2025 NBA season, Martin appeared in 24 games for the 76ers. He averaged 20 minutes of action, producing six points and three rebounds per game. Although he didn’t develop into a high-volume three-point scorer, he improved his efficiency, averaging 38 percent from beyond the arc.

Dealing with an injury, Martin hasn’t been on the court for the Sixers since late December. His latest appearance came on December 23, when he checked in for 19 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs. An absencue on Sunday for the Boston Celtics matchup marked the 21st absence in a row for Martin.

It’s unclear where Martin’s at from a health standpoint, but he’ll get a chance to make an impact on the Pistons for the remainder of the 2024-2025 NBA season and potentially beyond.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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