Philadelphia 76ers: 2 more Rockets to pursue in an Eric Gordon trade

2. Kenyon Martin Jr.

Kenyon Martin Jr. – or, as his friends call him, KJ Martin – is a very interesting prospect. He’s a second-generation NBA player whose father, Kenyon Martin Sr., actually played against Eric Gordon on six occasions from 2008-13, and one of the rare players in the NBA today who came straight from high school to the NBA, as he took a gap year at IMG Academy in Florida, the school that Jaden Springer attended, instead of playing for Vanderbilt, the school he initially committed to.

Though Martin wasn’t drafted nearly as high as his father, as he was the 52nd pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, selected six spots before Paul Reed, the 6-foot-6 big wing has averaged 22 minutes per game over his first two seasons with the Houston Rockets and has been a solid enough minutes eater for a squad looking to develop younger players.

And, in a very weird twist of fate, Martin reportedly wants out of his adopted home of Houston, as he let it be known to the organization that he would rather play out the final two years of his rookie contract elsewhere.

Could “elsewhere” be the Philadelphia 76ers? Well, if the team is already moving multiple assets to pursue Eric Gordon, I don’t see why Martin’s name wouldn’t come up on occasion, too.

Now granted, despite having almost twice as many NBA minutes under his belt than Jaden Springer, Charles Bassey, Isaiah Joe, and Paul Reed combined, Martin isn’t what you would call a complete NBA player. He’s not yet a high-end NBA defender, and his 3-point shot is just average in terms of efficiency (36.1 percent) and way below league-average in attempts (2.1). Still, Martin is a style of player the Sixers don’t currently employ, and his addition likely benefits the team a good bit moving forward, especially if Doc Rivers assumes he’s his father instead of a 21-year-old prospect.