KJ Martin discusses ‘tough’ trade, does plenty of catching up in return to Philly originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
KJ Martin had some hugs on the agenda before he could start his pregame routine Sunday night on the Wells Fargo Center floor.
He chatted with Sixers assistant coaches, including Rico Hines; team security staffers; any player that crossed his path. Clearly, having been traded by the Sixers last month didn’t make it a sour trip back to Philadelphia.
“It was tough,” Martin said in the visiting locker room ahead of the Sixers’ win over the Jazz. “Everybody — from you guys in the media, to the training staff, to the nutritionists, to the chefs, to all the guys on the team — we all had a really good relationship. That was probably the toughest part.
“I understand getting traded. It is what it is with the basketball part, but the relationships you build with people … obviously, relationships go on forever, but you’re just used to seeing everybody every single day. That was an adjustment for sure.”
Martin’s now settled into his new team. He played his 10th game for the Jazz on Sunday and had a solid night as Utah’s starting power forward, posting 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Though Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said on Feb. 7 that one of the team’s primary trade deadline goals was to get younger, the 24-year-old Martin didn’t stick around. The Sixers dealt Martin and two second-round picks to the Pistons in exchange for cash considerations, and Detroit then rerouted him to the Jazz in the five-team Jimmy Butler trade.
Before being sidelined by a left foot stress reaction, Martin was a steady rotation player this season for the Sixers. He made 24 appearances (seven starts) and averaged 6.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 20 minutes per contest. Martin shot 61.6 percent from the floor, 38.1 percent from three-point range and 82.8 percent at the foul line.
“He improved,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse said Saturday. “I thought, when we first got him, he seemed to be just a defender, kind of garbage man, etc. But he does a really good job in the pick-and-roll, getting to the rim. His shooting started to improve.
“He always was pretty good driving with his left hand, and he brought that into his game as well. … He guarded multiple positions, guarded up a lot, and he was pretty effective on offense at times. Again, his track record was that he wasn’t a great offensive player, but he was pretty effective.”
In the Jazz locker room, Martin is far more of a veteran.
“The energy is a little bit different vs. when I was here,” he said. “Me, Tyrese (Maxey) and Ricky (Council IV) were the young guys, I would say, but everyone else was older. It’s a different vibe, but I’ve been having fun.”
As far as his Sixers friends, Martin said he’s kept in touch with “everybody.”
“I spoke to Joel (Embiid) and Tyrese yesterday,” he said. “(Andre Drummond) texted me the other week saying he was happy to see me out there. I saw Ricky. Still everybody.”
It seems safe to assume Martin’s pregame ritual in Philadelphia will again feature quite a few hugs when he next visits.
“Philly will always have a place in my heart for sure,” Martin said. “Obviously, the Rockets were my first team, but then Philly the past two years was kind of where I built myself up. To come here and flourish was fun for sure.”
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