HANG TIME TEXAS, Y’ALL – The Great Wall of China might be thousands of miles long, but it wasn’t tall enough to keep Kenyon Martin in the country.
The veteran power forward (who turns 34 next week) has arranged a buyout from his contract with the Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association that will allow a return to the NBA, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo!Sports.
Two questions quickly pop up:
- Will Martin’s homecoming open the door for his former Denver teammates J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler to make their own returns to the NBA?
- Since he won’t be able to join an NBA team likely until sometime in March, how much jockeying will take place for Martin among playoff contenders that might be looking for fresh legs near the end of the condensed 66-game, post-lockout schedule – Miami, Boston, San Antonio, the Lakers?
For Martin and Xinjiang, this breakup was simply a chance to end a partnership that hadn’t been productive. Martin, who turns 34 on Dec. 30, had been nothing resembling a dominant force in the CBA, averaging 14 points and seven rebounds in a league with few NBA-level big men.
After playing out his contract with the Nuggets last season, Martin is an unrestricted free agent. There are NBA teams interested in him, but clearly they’ll take a close look at his knees and try to understand why he struggled to find his past explosiveness in China. Was he simply not playing hard enough, or is he not healthy?
So that makes one more question: Now that he’s coming home, will K-Mart have anything resembling an NBA level game packed in his luggage?
Free ILL WILL!! The “New Look Knicks” will take a serious run at Wilson Chandler first, since he has already reported he wants to Come back to New York..but if that is not possible, then Kenyon will get the call. 8.6ppg mixed with 6-7rpg will be enough to Make the Knicks an “unstopable” team just they same as if they got Wilson back or even a “Healthy” Baron Davis…im just saying.
Clippers could use some of that off the bench! Paul’s favorite meal will be LOBster. lol:)
boston will go after him
come to LA kmart!
I hope someone picks him up, that is anyone but Denver. We have seen enough of him in this town
My man K-Mart will fit perfectly at San Antonio..
how come he cant sign like next week?
lakers or spurs might be nice fit for him.
i saw ATLANTA HAWKS since they need a bigman
K-mart will go to Boston, who loves to stack old people, or maybe the houston rockets…the cavaliers could use him too, but i think Lakers will get him or the Grizzlies. he’s old, but my question is, if he gets to the NBA, why not ALLEN IVERSON!!?
Because Iverson is no longer the dominant all-star that he thinks he is. He’s now old and unlike the past, he no longer has the explosive quickness or exceptional talent he once had – so now he’s just an old, slow, little guy.
That’s enough of a deterentas it is, but it;s further cemented by the fact that he’s quite possibly the most arrogant free agent alive. He’s arrogant enough to believe that he’s still an top tier player who deserves to play All-Star minutes, and the last three teams who actually DID give him a try ended up losing him because he was utterly offended by the thought of any team wanting to bring him off the bench.
So in summary AI is:
- Far too selfish and arrogant to play a legitimate PG role
- Too small (at 6’0″ and about 160lbs) to play SG.
- A defensive liability at either guard position
- An emotional headache in the locker room
- Not good enough to start
- Not willing to come off the bench
- Highly likely to quit the team after two months
That’s why not even the most desperate team will sign him…
go back to the nets!
All those guys would be a good fit for clippers. JR might introduce some toxic issues. Kenyon Martin would be a good fit and so would Wilson.
K-mart would be a wonderfull addition to the Lakers come to LA dude we need ya!
I hope the Nuggets don’t resign him. As a Nuggets fan I’d rather take my chances giving those minutes to Harrington and Kenneth Faried.
He could take his talents to south beach
Why aren’t people talking about Martins team mate in China who spent last year on the Trailblazers bench and is currently outscoring him by 12 ppg? Oh that’s right he’s an Australian. Sorry Patty Mills wrong birthplace
In a 66 game season with multiple back to back to backs it’s going to be a war of attrition and Patty Mills’ services will be required. Probably not Portland, although they would love to have him back, but hopefully a playoff contender and maybe even sneak a ring who knows. I think he has potential to turn into a good quality back up point guard in this league.
Props for the Patty Mills love. We Aussies appreciate that someone’s recognising this overlooked little battler.
The boy’s a jet and was wasted in Portland behind Miller. Personally I think he’d be a good fit for the Lakers or Heat.
I totally agree. He was robbed going late 2nd round in the draft. Every single team needs a guy like him, especially with this year’s schedule.
Go to phoenix KMART, play with NASH and co.
GO TO BULLS KMART !! = ) the bulls only have 13 players
bring starbury back too.
come to the heat you will win a ring this year
hopefully anywhere but the lakers
If the Knicks will be able to get Wilson Chandler back – LIGHTS OUT!!!
C – Tyson Chandler
PF – AMARE
SF – MELO
SG – Wilson Chandler
PG – Baron Davis
Runner ups on the Bench: Landry Fields; Toney Douglas; Iman Shumpert; Mike Bibby; Renaldo Balkman and so on
NO ONE will be able to crush them!!!
OKC is strong! Chi Town is Strong! Miami Busters are obviosly strong! LA Teams are Strong BUT NY will cruush them all!!!
I’m Sorry to inform you but DA BULLS will most definitely crush the NY Knicks!
forget kenyon martin. what about patty mills???!!!! is he getting out of there??!
any team can go after him….. Kings, Cavs and the Bucks could use him, Kmart bring your talents to Miami and be a role player
K-mart is okay for the nuggets but in China he wouldn’t matter.
wat were u thinking guys ur going insane out there haha…
lets go knicks
the knicks are still shopping, chandler will be a great fit
Kmart is done! Couldn’t cut it over seas, cant cut it here. Hang em up like shaw.
retire! in a league full of weaker bodies and u did not dominate think of what u gonna do in NBA? absolutely nothing!
Chandler is a restrited agent and will return to denver…