Detroit Pistons Land Veteran Forward in Trade With 76ers

The Detroit Pistons have a new forward.

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

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.

The Sixers are trading KJ Martin and two second-round picks to Detroit, league sources say. https://t.co/73UOafVDYH

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 5, 2025

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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