He’s back. The Los Angeles Times writes that the Clippers and Kenyon Martin have agreed on a mini mid-level deal that will be finalized once K-Mart passes a physical. Martin – who was being courted by five teams – should fit in well with Los Angeles. They have NO depth, especially upfront, where their first big man off the bench is Reggie Evans. Martin immediately moves into that spot and gives the team even more athleticism.
Last season with Denver, Martin averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in nearly 26 minutes a night, and while he probably won’t match those numbers coming off the pine in Hollywood, he should have ample opportunities for minutes. Just yesterday, I speculated there was a good chance he would end up here, and while I thought Atlanta was a better fit, the Clippers provide Martin with a legit shot at the NBA Finals.
At this point, it’s unknown exactly when Martin can start playing. FIBA cleared him for an immediate return to the NBA, but the Chinese Basketball Association plans to fight it, stating that the clearance letter was deliberately sent to them around the New Year so that they wouldn’t respond in time. If they win the appeal, Martin wouldn’t be able to play until their season is over, which would be Feb. 16 (unless a winning streak gets them into the playoffs).
Is this a good fit?
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