In what is expected to be one of the Sixers‘ final major offseason moves, the team has re-signed forward KJ Martin to a two-year, $16 million deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
Coming to Philadelphia in the James Harden trade during the 2023-2024 NBA season, Martin played 58 games last season with the Sixers, averaging 3.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game.
Many had expected Martin and the Sixers to agree to a deal for some time. John Hollinger of The Athletic pointed out Philadelphia’s flexibility regarding re-signing Martin. Thanks to his minimal $2.1 million cap hold, Philadelphia was able to sign Martin to a larger deal than they could have any other remaining free agent.
The Sixers are expected to consider leveraging Martin’s contract in trade negotiations to improve deal flexibility.
While Martin would become trade-eligible on Dec. 15, it’s unlikely that a deal will be struck until at least Jan 15. Once that date passes, Philadelphia can aggregate Martin’s salary with that of any other player on the roster in a potential trade.
Until then, Martin will likely press Ricky Council IV for forward minutes off the bench. With the Sixers’ new-look roster, perhaps the fifth-year veteran can return to the version of himself that has multiple teams over the years.
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