Averaging 12+5+1 per game, the Rockets start or be put on the shelf! If a suitable quote is available, Stone will trade

In addition to the Rockets' fancy to a number of star players, some of the young players on the Rockets' own roster are also favored by other teams, especially Kenyon Martin Jr., the main small forward who faces the team's options this summer, who is the player most likely to be put on the shelves of the Rockets. 22-year-old Martin Jr., don't look old, but he is the oldest player on the Rockets, and since 2020, Martin Jr., a second-round pick, has been a member of the Rockets, and he was selected by the Rockets with the 22nd pick in the second round in the 2020 draft.

The Rockets had no first-round pick or second-round pick at the time, but Rockets management offered the Kings a second-round pick with cash and picked Martin Jr. At present, Martin Jr., like Tate, has played for the Rockets for 3 seasons and is the most senior player on the Rockets. Martin Jr. played 82 games last season, averaging 12.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.4 blocks and 0.5 steals in 28 minutes per game, shooting 57% from the field.

Now Martin Jr. is being chased by the Suns, Lone Rangers and Clippers, and Rockets team reporter Kelly Iko reports that according to sources, there is now a voice within the Rockets: If a team sends Martin Jr. the right offer, Martin Jr. can be traded.

The reason is also simple, the Rockets already have excellent forwards such as Tate, Ethan, and Garuba, and the Rockets also plan to chase Dillon Brooks, Kuzma and other wingers in the offseason, and Martin Jr. is really not worth the Rockets' contract extension. If they could trade back a first-round pick, or an equally young center or point guard, the Rockets would be happy to trade Martin Jr. It's just that at present, all teams are busy with the NBA draft on the 23rd, and they have not yet had time to send a quote worth referring to the Rockets.

But if the Rockets put starting small forward Martin on the shelf, I believe that in addition to the above 3 teams, there are more teams that need sports forwards who will show interest in Martin Jr. Presumably, everyone also knows the characteristics of Martin Jr., he can run and jump, inheriting the dominant genes of his father, Nets power forward Kenyon Martin, and is a "spring man" forward with excellent dunking ability and blocking ability.

The disadvantage is that Martin Jr. does not shoot well from three-point range, lacks height, and has average control. But as an all-rounder striker, Martin Jr.'s finishing ability at the basket is strong, has a certain defensive ability, and has a super first-class explosiveness, which is a potential reason why chasers fancy Martin Jr.

After the end of the 2023 draft, I believe that Rockets general manager Rafael Stone will receive more offers for Martin Jr. If the Rockets determine that there is another starting option for the small forward position in the new season, then Martin Jr. leaving the Rockets becomes a high probability event. After all, what the Rockets need to do now is to gradually clean up some of the basic young players, and Martin Jr. is one of them.