The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly signing forward KJ Martin on a multi-year contract, but he may not stay around long.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on the news, writing, "Free agent forward KJ Martin has agreed on a two-year, $16 million deal to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, Aaron Mintz and Andrew Morrison of @caabasketball tell ESPN."
Free agent forward KJ Martin has agreed on a two-year, $16 million deal to return to the Philadelphia 76ers, Aaron Mintz and Andrew Morrison of @caabasketball tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/mHOUEQJnAl
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 12, 2024
Most are under the impression this deal was made for the Sixers to land a power forward sometime around this season's trade deadline. For reference, a player cannot be traded immediately after signing a new contract in the NBA. It's a win-win situation, as Philadelphia can use Martin's larger contract to acquire bigger names while the 23-year-old receives a nice pay day. He averaged a respectable 3.7 points on 54.4% shooting during his limited playing time (12.3 minutes) in Philadelphia. Acquiring a final championship-contending piece at the trade deadline is not unusual, and it seems the 76ers intend on doing just that.
Some of their options include Dorian Finney-Smith (Brooklyn Nets), Grant Williams (Charlotte Hornets), and Harrison Barnes (San Antonio Spurs). While Martin does hold solid upside, Philadelphia simply doesn't have time to watch him develop as they look to win a championship in the coming years.
