Pistons Acquiring KJ Martin, Second-Rounders From Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers are trading wing KJ Martin and two second-round draft picks to the Detroit Pistons, per NBA reporter Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Sources told Hoops Wire that the second-rounders headed to the Pistons are in the 2027 NBA Draft, via the Milwaukee Bucks, and 2031, via the Dallas Mavericks.

Detroit is merely using some of its available cap space to take on Martin’s salary. Per Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Pistons are using their “room exception,” worth $7.98 million. Martin makes $7.97 million, so the math adds up.

That said, Detroit would have to make another deal and its remaining $14 million to use that room exception — so yes, the Pistons may have more up their sleeve ahead of the NBA trade deadline (Thursday, 3 p.m. EST).

Martin was selected with the No. 52 overall pick in 2020, sp3ending his first three seasons with the Houston Rockets. He was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2023 offseason, playing just two games with LA before being part of the blockbuster with the Sixers centered on James Harden.

He then signed a two-year, $16 million deal with Philadelphia during the offseason — something that, at the time, was viewed as a future trade possibility. The second year of that deal is not fully guaranteed.

With the Sixers having a rocky season, it makes sense for them just to dump Martin’s deal.

As relayed by Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype, the Sixers are saving more than $40 million with the trades of KJ Martin and Caleb Martin (to the Mavericks).