Kenyon Martin Sr. Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kenyon Martin Not Interested In Minimum Salary

August 2nd, 2012 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks may still add a power forward to their roster this summer, and Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com notes that Kenyon Martin could be the best fit for New York. However, a source tells Zwerling that Martin won't sign for the veteran's minimum, which is all the Knicks have left to offer (Twitter link).

Despite signing well after the season was underway, Martin managed to land a $2.5MM contract with the Clippers in 2011/12, earning the team's full room exception. However, in the 42 games he played for the Clips, Martin established career-lows in many statistical categories — the former first overall pick averaged just 5.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 9.9 PER, perhaps reducing his appeal this summer. If the 34-year-old were to sign for the veteran's minimum for 2012/13, he'd earn just $1,352,181, by far his lowest salary since he entered the league.

If Martin remains unwilling to sign a minimum-salary deal, Andray Blatche could be an option for the Knicks, Zwerling suggests (via Twitter). Because he's still being paid by the Wizards, the amnestied Blatche may be more open to signing for the veteran's minimum.

Warriors Interested In Kenyon Martin

July 13th, 2012 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

After acquiring veteran guard Jarrett Jack earlier this week, the Warriors have shifted their focus to adding another big man. According to GM Bob Myers, Golden State is targeting power forwards, and one report yesterday linked the team to Carl Landry. A sign-and-trade might be necessary to snag Landry, but the Warriors are also eyeing more affordable options, including Kenyon Martin, says Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com.

Free Agent Rumors: Nets, Pacers, Green

July 11th, 2012 at 9:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The July moratorium came to an end late last night, and a number of teams didn't waste any time in finalizing moves. The Lakers' acquisition of Steve Nash was the first transaction to become official, followed closely by the Knicks' signing of J.R. Smith, Deron Williams' contract with the Nets, and Blake Griffin's five-year extension with the Clippers. We're expecting more deals to be formally announced today, but there are plenty of free agents still on the market too. We'll be tracking the latest news on those guys right here, with the newest items added to the top of the page throughout the day….

The Nets are considering Kenyon Martin and Craig Smith and discussing a sign-and-trade for Antawn Jamison, clouding Kris Humphries' future with the team, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
The Pacers are targeting unrestricted free agent Gerald Green as their wing player off the bench, and are expected to offer him a three-year, $10MM contract, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star. O.J. Mayo and Courtney Lee are out the team's price range at the moment (All Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

Knicks Notes: Martin, Foye, Camby, Kidd

July 9th, 2012 at 12:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Marcus Camby met with the Knicks yesterday and word is that the pow-wow was "very positive," for both sides. The veteran reportedly feels comfortable with the club in part because of his relationship with General Manager Glen Grunwald. Here's the latest out of Madison Square Garden…

According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (via Twitter), there were preliminary discussions about a three-team deal that would have sent Kenyon Martin to the Knicks, but those talks have since cooled.

Earlier updates:

Clippers Rumors: Griffin, Paul, Martin, Evans

June 30th, 2012 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

Blake Griffin doesn't hit free agency this summer, but the Clippers figure to make his future a top priority in the coming days nonetheless. According to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, when free agency begins, the Clippers are expected to offer Griffin a five-year extension, with an opt-out after four years. Griffin is expected to agree to either that offer or a four-year extension, says Turner. Here are the rest of the Clippers rumors from Turner's piece:

Money Time: Upcoming Free Agents In The Playoffs

May 26th, 2012 at 1:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's time for another look at soon-to-be free agents and their playoff performances as we put a bow on the conference semifinals with the Sixers-Celtics Game 7 tonight. You can find previous Money Time posts by clicking on the tag at the bottom of this entry or by clicking here.

Winners

Danny Green, Spurs (restricted): Last year's D-League refugee doesn't have to worry about NBA job security anymore, especially after what he's done this postseason. In San Antonio's four-game sweep of the Clippers, Green delivered on 11 of 19 three-point attempts , shot 56.3% overall, and was fourth on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game.

Boris Diaw, Spurs: He's fit so seamlessly with the Spurs that GM R.C. Buford may regret signing Diaw to just a rest-of-the-season deal when he was bought out by the Bobcats. Diaw took over the starting power forward spot next to center Tim Duncan shortly before the playoffs, and really turned it on against the Clippers, averaging 10.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals. He had 12 rebounds in Game 1, and shot 7-for-7 for 16 points in Game 2.

Lavoy Allen, Sixers (restricted): He's forgiving about his preseason ranking as the worst player in the NBA by ESPN.com, and he didn't get down when he was benched after starting Game 1 against the Bulls. Allen has instead turned into one of the most important figures for the Sixers in their series against the Celtics, shooting 62.9% from the floor and averaging 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals in 23.5 minutes a game against Boston. He has a chance to make an even more profound impression with a strong performance in Game 7 tonight.

Losers

Kenyon Martin, Clippers: We'll circle back to catch up with one of the many Clippers done in by the Spurs. He averaged 1.5 blocks, but brought down fewer than three rebounds per game in that series, disconcerting for a big man even though he played just 16 MPG. He was nonexistant on offense, shooting just 40% and averaging 4.0 PPG.

Spencer Hawes, Sixers: We had him listed as a winner in a previous installment of Money Time, but he has not carried his encouraging play against the Bulls over to the second-round series with the Celtics. He's the team's eighth leading scorer, at 8.0 PPG, in the series, and has averaged just 24.3 minutes of court time. The Celtics are a poor rebounding team, but the 7'0", 245-pound Hawes is putting up just 5.5 RPG against them.

Leandro Barbosa, Pacers: The Pacers looked to him to spark the team's offense as a reserve, but Barbosa, a double-figure scorer for six of the last seven regular seasons, couldn't get it done. He shot 31.8% against the Heat, and the career 82.3% free-throw shooter went just 3-for-6 at the line. His 6'3", 176-pound frame made him a liability at shooting guard when he was defending Dwyane Wade, and as a 29-year-old who has long used his speed to his advantage, Barbosa's prospects look dim going forward.

Odds & Ends: Martin, Hickson, Ginobili

February 19th, 2012 at 1:58pm CST by Michael Pina

Yesterday’s game between the Clippers and Spurs was one of the most exciting endings we’ve seen this season. Here’s a bit of news regarding some of the players involved in that exciting finish, as well as some others notes from around the league.

Clippers forward Kenyon Martin told SI.com’s Sam Amick that upon his return, Carmelo Anthony will be more than helpful in making the Knicks an even more potent team than they already are. Martin also said that he doesn’t appreciate George Karl’s remarks regarding Anthony as a selfish player.
Even though Omri Casspi hasn’t played lights out basketball since joining the Cavaliers, FoxSportsOhio.com’s Sam Amico says the team was right to acquire him in exchange for J.J. Hickson. In Amico’s story, one Western Conference general manager said if the Kings knew exactly what they were getting with Hickson, they never would’ve made the deal.
After suffering an oblique injury in yesterday’s win against the Clippers, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili will head back to San Antonio for treatment as his team continues on their west coast road trip, according to the San Antonio Express’ Mike Monroe. Ginobili said the injury wasn’t as bad as he originally thought, and that his anti-inflammatory medicine is already working.

Pacific Notes: Lin, Martin, Kings

February 7th, 2012 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

Linsanity may be taking over New York, but fans of a couple other teams aren't so excited about Jeremy Lin's recent emergence for the Knicks. The Harvard product was on the Rockets roster during training camp, after Houston claimed him off waivers from the Warriors. As Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group writes, Lin saw some playing time in Golden State last year, but became a cap casualty when the Warriors cleared space to make an offer to restricted free agent DeAndre Jordan.

Here are the rest of the morning's notes out of the Pacific division:

Kenyon Martin was flattered by the number of teams and players that reached out to him when he was a free agent, but ultimately decided the Clippers were the best fit, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. In an unfortunate twist, Martin may not get to play with one of his most aggressive recruiters, Chauncey Billups, who could miss significant time with an achilles injury. Martin said he got the "full-court press" from Billups and Chris Paul, tweets Kyler.
Seattle is trying to bring the NBA back to the city, but that hasn't affected Sacramento's work on a new arena, reports Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. The Kings are thought to be a candidate for relocation if the league goes in that direction.
Lakers star Kobe Bryant discussed his future and denied a Dwight Howard rumor, as we wrote earlier this morning.

J.R. Smith Rumors: Sunday

February 5th, 2012 at 9:01am CST by Daniel Seco

Former Denver Nuggets shooting guard J.R. Smith looks to return to the NBA after a stint in China with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls. Smith, 25, has received attention from numerous NBA teams with the Los Angeles Clippers and the New York Knicks among his strongest suitors. As stated by Smith in a tweet on Friday, he would be excited to see what kind of pick-and-roll tandem he and Amare Stoudemire could form at the Garden.

According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, beleaguered Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni isn't hiding the fact that the Knicks desperately need another shooter and view Smith as an ideal candidate to fill such a role for the 9-15 squad. The Knicks can offer Smith the $2.5MM mini mid-level exception but will have to waive a player upon signing him.
Picking an opportune time for a career-high 25 points and seven dimes, Jeremy Lin can rest assured that he would not be a roster casualty if Smith signs with New York.
After recently signing free agent Kenyon Martin to a contract, the Clippers may turn to Smith in an effort to add depth off the bench as they attempt to make a run at a top seed in the Western Conference. The Clippers no longer have the payroll flexibility to offer Smith the $2.5MM mini mid-level exception after giving it Martin and would have to sign the former Hornet for the veteran's minimum.
For those wondering about the impact the eighth-year player out of New Jersey has made in China, Smith lit up the scoreboard with 60 points during a CBA game last week.

Clippers Links: Griffin, Billups, Martin, Smith, Butler

February 4th, 2012 at 11:56pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

Everything is roses for the Los Angeles Clippers, who won tonight in impressive fashion against the Washington Wizards. Mark Heisler of the New York Times writes how this impressive team came together and why they go "beyond mere highlights to spectacular." In other Clippers news:

Don't count Blake Griffin out of the slam dunk contest just yet, reports Dan Feldman of ESPN Los Angeles.
Feldman also wrote a great piece on how the Clippers and Chauncey Billups convinced Kenyon Martin to come to Los Angeles.
Martin is expected to join the Clippers on Monday, reports USA Today's Michael Falgoust.
Caron Butler, another unheralded free agent signing by the Clippers, is starting to find his comfort zone in Los Angeles, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
Martin isn't the only player returning from China that the Clippers are hoping to sign. Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports that the Clippers now have their eye on J.R. Smith.