Rockets' Kenyon Martin Jr. Wants Out; Why Not Expand Christian Wood Trade with Mavs?

The 21-year-old forward wants a change of scenery just two years into his young career.

The Houston Rockets kicked off the offseason trade frenzy last week by agreeing to trade Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks for four expiring contracts and the No. 26 pick in the NBA Draft, and now Eric Gordon trade talks are heating up too. Given that the Wood trade can't be made official until Dallas makes a selection on Thursday night, there could still be time to expand the deal if needed.

According to a report from The Athletic, Kenyon Martin Jr. approached the Rockets’ front office about being traded from the team with a new wave of young talent coming in with picks No. 3, 17 and 26.

If the Rockets wanted to give Martin Jr. his wish while also getting a young, athletic prospect in return as his replacement, why not expand the Wood trade with the Mavs on Thursday night? After all, the Mavs have been searching for another wing to bolster their depth in that department off the bench. Here is what the revised trade would look like:

Mavs receive: Christian Wood, Kenyon Martin Jr.

Rockets receive: Josh Green, Boban Marjanovic, Trey Burke, Sterling Brown, Marquese Chriss and the No. 26 pick

Green is still raw offensively, but he’s the equivalent of the Energizer Bunny on defense from the moment he steps on the court to the moment he leaves it. Although offense isn’t Green’s strong suit, the Rockets have experienced firsthand what kind of potential Green can have on offense, as the 21-year-old scored 17 points on 6-7 shooting from the field in Houston on Jan. 7.

Martin averaged 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 79 games for the Rockets this season while playing just 21 minutes per game. He shot 53.3 percent from the field, including 35.7 percent from deep. Although Martin Jr. is further along in his development than Green is, he’s also played nearly double the number of total minutes Green has in two seasons. If Martin Jr. isn’t going to be happy in Houston, this could be an easy-fix option for both sides to consider.

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Listen to the latest Mavs Step Back Podcast, where Trigg and Matt Galatzan discuss the Christian Wood trade from both Dallas and Houston's perspectives: