Kenyon Martin Sr. Rumors

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Nuggets, Martin Sr., Timberwolves

August 6th, 2021 at 6:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz’s free agent moves were designed to make them a more complete playoff team, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. Signing Rudy Gay in free agency and trading for Eric Paschall will allow Utah to match up better against small-ball lineups. The was something the Jazz struggled with when the Clippers went small against them in the postseason. The Jazz are also looking to sign their own restricted free agent, Trent Forrest, to a two-way deal, according to Jones.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Nuggets began their summer league mini-camp on Friday following a COVID-19 related pause, Kyle Frederickson of the Denver Post reports. Denver’s first three practices were canceled due to health and safety protocols after a positive test and subsequent contact tracing.
Kenyon Martin Sr. is back in the NBA as an assistant coach with the Nuggets’ summer league team, Marc Spears of The Undefeated tweets. He’s hoping to remain in the league in a coaching capacity.
In a detailed interview with the Timberwolves‘ buyers, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tells of how former baseball All-Star Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore made their deal with Glen Taylor. The transfer of ownership will be gradual process and Lore prefers it that way. “Glen had the team for almost 30 years. We’re thinking similarly,” Lore said. “We’re going to have this team for at least the next 30 years. … We don’t think we have all the answers. We’re not ready, quite frankly, to be making all the decisions right now.”

And-Ones: Kenyon Martin, Will Bynum, 2017 NBA Draft

December 24th, 2016 at 2:59pm CST by Austin Kent

There have been plenty of headlines about George Karl‘s pending book release, but lost in the Carmelo Anthony barbs that have been heavily discussed in the media of late is the seemingly reignited feud between the ex-Nuggets head coach and his former power forward Kenyon Martin.

Marc Spears of The Undefeated explored the intricacies of the hostile relationship between Karl and Martin.

Will Bynum has signed a D-League contract with the Windy City Bulls, the 33-year-old last suited it up in the NBA for the Wizards back in April 2015. In 2006, prior to his six-year stint with the Pistons, Bynum won the D-League Rookie of the Year Award.
Justin Dentmon has signed a contract with the Shandong Bulls. The 31-year-old point guard has served brief stints with the Spurs, Raptors and Mavericks.
Dallas Morning News beat writer Eddie Sefko explores the various ways the Mavericks could go about acquiring a superstar – and just how badly Mark Cuban wants to get one.
There could be as many as 10-15 All-Stars in this summer’s draft class, writes Chad Ford for ESPN Insider (subscription required). The group is headlined by Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball.

New Pro League For Retired Players To Debut In 2017

December 23rd, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

Longtime NBA guard Roger Mason is leaving his position as the deputy executive director of the National Basketball Players Association to help launch a new professional basketball league for retired players, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. According to Wojnarowski, Mason will serve as president and commissioner of the new league.

As Wojnarowski details, Mason will partner with rapper and actor Ice Cube – and multiple investors – to launch the league in June 2017. The plan is for eight teams – made up of five players apiece – to tour together from city to city for 10 weeks in the summer, playing three-on-three, half-court games. The league, which will be known as TheBig3, is being founded by Ice Cube, who spoke to Wojnarowski about the project.

“I thought of this concept as a fan who got sick of seeing his heroes retire and not play anymore,” Ice Cube said. “A lot of these guys can still play once they retire – just not the back-to-backs or four games in five nights.

“Not only do we get a chance to see these guys keep playing, but we give guys who retired who still got some game – who don’t want to pick up a [microphone] on TV and who don’t want to go overseas to play … some of these guys still want a stage to play on.”

Per Wojnarowski, former NBA players who have committed to play on teams in the league include Kenyon Martin, Stephen Jackson, Jermaine O’Neal, Rashard Lewis, and Jason Williams. Additionally, Gary Payton has agreed to coach one of the teams.

As for Mason, he played a significant role in the NBPA’s transition over the last several years, and will leave the union as it prepares to officially ratify a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NBA. According to Wojnarowski, the NBPA’s focus on taking care of retired and elderly former players in the new CBA was in large part due to Mason.

An official news conference to announce TheBig3 is expected in January, says Wojnarowski.

George Karl Blasts Carmelo In Upcoming Book

December 22nd, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Carmelo Anthony was “addicted to the spotlight” and had no commitment to defense when he played for the Nuggets, his former coach George Karl writes in a book that is scheduled for release next month.

Excerpts from the book, “Furious George,” were published after an advance copy was obtained by the New York Post’s Marc Berman.

Karl coached Anthony for six seasons and clearly still has issues with the current Knicks star forward. Karl called Anthony “the best offensive player he ever coached” but Anthony drove him crazy with his self-indulgence and refusal to play hard at both ends of the court, Berman continues.

“He really lit my fuse with his low demand of himself on defense,” Karl said in the book. “He had no commitment to the hard, dirty work of stopping the other guy. My ideal — probably every coach’s ideal — is when your best player is also your leader. But since Carmelo only played hard on one side of the ball, he made it plain he couldn’t lead the Nuggets, even though he said he wanted to. Coaching him meant working around his defense and compensating for his attitude.”

Karl admitted that he was happy when Denver traded Anthony to the Knicks in 2011, viewing it as “a sweet release for the coach and the team, like popping a blister.” Karl added that Nuggets got the better of the deal in the long run. Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, two of the players acquired by Denver, are still rotation pieces there.

Karl also took current Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith and former NBA forward Kenyon Martin to task, calling them “spoiled brats.”

Martin responded on Twitter by calling Karl a “terrible person” (Twitter link).

Karl, 65, was fired by the Kings in April after a disappointing 33-49 season.

Kenyon Martin Retires

July 2nd, 2015 at 6:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Veteran forward Kenyon Martin is hanging up his sneakers and retiring from the NBA, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports. “It’s been a great 15 years,” Martin told Spears. “Thanks to all the fans that supported me over the years. But a time does come when you have to walk away, and the time is now for me. I’m ready for the next chapter of my life. I would like to thank the Nets, Nuggets, Clippers, Knicks and Bucks for the opportunity to play the game that I love. It’s been real. Thanks for the love.”

Martin said that he is interested in coaching on the college or NBA level. He also plans to help his 14-year-old son, Kenyon Jr., develop into a basketball star, Spears relays. “I have family time and business ahead,” Martin said. “And if something coaching comes up [basketball-wise], I will consider it. I’m also getting Kenyon, Jr., ready to be the No. 1 pick in a couple of years.”

The 37-year-old was the No. 1 overall pick by the Nets in the 2000 NBA Draft. He played for the Nets, Clippers, Nuggets, Knicks, and Bucks over the course of his 15 year professional career. Martin appeared in 11 contests for Milwaukee last season, averaging 1.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 9.5 minutes per night. His career numbers are 12.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.9 APG, with a slash line of .483/.234/.629. The Andy Miller client made almost $113.144MM in NBA salaries over the course of his career, according to Basketball-Reference and Basketball Insiders data.

No Deal Between Kenyon Martin, Panathinaikos

May 11th, 2015 at 2:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

MONDAY, 2:20pm: Talks are dead between Martin and Panathinaikos and the veteran won’t be signing there, David Pick of Eurobasket.net tweets.

SUNDAY, 8:00pm: The two sides are no longer talking, according to Cauchi, who cites a source. Martin was close to signing with the Greek team, but negotiations were taking too much time, Cauchi writes.

9:09am: Kenyon Martin is expected to sign with Panathinaikos in Greece, tweets Orazio Cauchi of Sportando. A source calls the move “done,” noting that the agreement will cover one month.

The 37-year-old Martin is a 15-year veteran of the NBA, and appeared in 11 games this season with the Bucks. He averaged 1.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in just 9.5 minutes of playing time.

Milwaukee signed Martin to a 10-day contract January 10th, then a second 10-day deal January 19th. On January 29th, he signed for the remainder of the season, but was waived February 19th and hasn’t played in the NBA since then.

Martin was picked first overall by the Nets in the 2000 NBA draft. He also played for the Nuggets, Clippers and Knicks during his NBA career. This will be Martin’s second stint overseas. He played briefly for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of China during the 2011 lockout.

Bucks Waive Kenyon Martin

February 19th, 2015 at 9:16pm CST by Eddie Scarito

9:16pm: Milwaukee has waived Martin, the team announced.

6:04pm: The Bucks intend to waive Kenyon Martin, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Milwaukee had signed the veteran big man for the remainder of the season back in January after he had completed his second 10-day deal with the team. Martin’s contract for 2014/15 pays him $414,551.

Milwaukee’s roster would come to 16, one over the limit, after today’s multiteam deal that sent Brandon Knight to the Suns and brought Michael Carter-Williams, Tyler Ennis, and Miles Plumlee to the Bucks. The team has also reportedly reached a buyout arrangement with Larry Sanders, who intends to sit out the remainder of the season due to personal reasons. If both Sanders and Martin are indeed waived, the team will have one empty roster spot as a result.

In 11 appearances for the Bucks this season Martin is averaging 1.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in 9.5 minutes per game. His career numbers over 14 seasons in the NBA are 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. Martin’s career shooting percentages are .483/.234/.629.

And-Ones: Stoudemire, Nuggets, Kenyon, Bucks

February 5th, 2015 at 11:00am CST by Chuck Myron

It’s “quite possible” that Amar’e Stoudemire would return to the Suns when he becomes a free agent this summer, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post, who speculates that the Magic might have interest in the native of central Florida. In any case, he’s not looking to buy out his contract and hit free agency at any point this season, since he doesn’t want to uproot his family and would prefer the Knicks retain his Bird rights and the flexibility that comes with them, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. The Knicks remain open to trading him, but it’s unlikely that they do, Kyler says, and Stoudemire said Wednesday that he doesn’t anticipate a swap. While we wait to see how it turns out for the big man who’s making more than $23.4MM this year, here’s more from around the league:

The general belief is that the Nuggets are seeking a first-round pick in return for Wilson Chandler, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. The Blazers and Clippers have interest, as Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post reported last month, but I speculated when I examined Chandler’s trade candidacy that it’s unlikely that Denver reaps a first-rounder for him.
Knicks president Phil Jackson confronted Kenyon Martin last month shortly after Martin made public comments indicating that the team didn’t have any interest in re-signing him this past offseason, a Bucks official tells Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
A key figure in the Wisconsin state legislature said Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal for $220MM worth of public funding for a new Bucks arena has “no chance” to receive legislative approval unless the city and county pony up funds, too, reports Scott Bauer of The Associated Press. The NBA can take over the Bucks in 2017 if no arena is in place.

Spears On Prince, Plumlee, Kings, Kenyon

February 2nd, 2015 at 1:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s no surprise to see the Hawks and Warriors atop the latest power rankings from Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, but Spears doesn’t just list the NBA’s 30 teams from top to bottom. He passes along several tidbits of note with the trade deadline just two and a half weeks away. He seconds an earlier report from Marc Stein and Ian Begley of ESPN.com that the Knicks are shopping Jose Calderon, but much of what Spears has is new information, and we’ll hit the highlights here:

Boston is unlikely to find a trade for Tayshaun Prince before the deadline, Spears hears from a source. Prince reportedly plans to push for his departure the Celtics, though he’s publicly said that he’s committed to playing for Boston, at least for the time being. A buyout deal appears likely should the Celtics fail to garner the draft pick they’re looking for in a swap, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald wrote last month, though coach Brad Stevens hopes to keep Prince for the balance of the season.
The Suns aren’t garnering much interest as they try to trade Miles Plumlee, a source tells Spears, though that’s not a shock, since the team is reportedly looking for at least one first-round pick.
Sacramento continues to pursue an “athletic big man” to pair with DeMarcus Cousins, according to Spears’ source. The Kings are reportedly shopping Derrick Williams, and Jason Thompson is among the Sacramento players the team is apparently open to trading.
The Knicks didn’t re-sign Kenyon Martin this summer after he spent the previous two seasons with them because the team felt he wouldn’t be a fit for the triangle offense, Spears says. Martin and the Bucks followed a pair of 10-day contracts with a deal for the rest of the season.

Eastern Notes: Vaughn, Pistons, Bucks, Knicks

January 30th, 2015 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Magic believed as recently as a month ago that youth and inexperience were to blame for the team’s struggles, but it’s no longer that the Magic are losing that troubles club officials; it’s how they’re losing, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Still, Jacque Vaughn remains unmoved amid reports he’s close to losing his job.

“I do my job every day,” Vaughn said today. “I don’t abide by the tyranny of other people’s attitudes and moods. I’m ready to rock ‘n’ roll.”

There’s more on the Magic amid the latest around the Eastern Conference:

The Pistons view a trade as their preferred method to find a point guard to compensate for the loss of the injured Brandon Jennings, tweets David Mayo of MLive. Signing a D-Leaguer is Plan B, Mayo adds. Stan Van Gundy is now saying Monday is the earliest day the team would make any such move as he keeps pushing back the timeline, Mayo notes.
Coach Jason Kidd has offered Kenyon Martin a chance to remain with the Bucks for next year as an assistant coach, a source tells David Alarcón of HoopsHype (Twitter link; translation via HoopsHype). Martin signed a deal Thursday that keeps him with Milwaukee as a player through the end of the season.
Some of the Magic‘s veteran acquisitions from this past offseason began questioning the on-court decision-making, and the doubt spread to some of Orlando’s younger players as the team failed to gain confidence in Vaughn, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Vaughn didn’t earn his team’s trust, Kyler believes, but the Magic nonetheless dealt the coach a losing hand, as Kyler also opines.
The Knicks have sent Cleanthony Early to the D-League, the team announced. The assignment is to allow the rookie to work on his conditioning following knee surgery, but he’s expected back with the big club by Sunday, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter links).
The Celtics recalled Andre Dawkins from the D-League on Thursday only to quickly send him down again, the team announced in a pair of tweets. The team brought the 10-day signee up to Boston merely for a practice, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com details.