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Kenyon Martin has reportedly reached a deal with the L.A. Clippers after leaving the Chinese Basketball Association. But China is demanding that the power forward honor his contract and that FIBA reverse its decision to grant clearance.
Kenyon Martin had received clearance by FIBA, the international basketball governing body, this week to sign with an NBA team after the Chinese Basketball Association had reportedly failed to respond to a request to leave from the veteran power forward. But Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Chinese officials are fighting FIBA's clearance and are demanding that Martin remain ineligible to sign with an NBA team until his CBA team's season ends, likely in two weeks unless they make a playoff run.
Wojnarowski also reports that the other American players in China, including Martin's longtime Denver Nuggets teammate J.R. Smith, are irate about the situation because it has made it more difficult for them to reach a deal to return to the NBA early.
The L.A. Clippers, Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks are reportedly top options for Martin, an experienced defender and former No. 1 pick. He has spent his entire NBA career with the New Jersey Nets and Nuggets.
Kenyon Martin has received clearance to sign with an NBA team after leaving the Chinese Basketball Association, reports ESPN's Marc Stein. Martin had joined a Chinese club as the NBA lockout cut into the 2011-12 regular season, despite the Chinese government passing rules that would not have allowed teams to waive NBA imports should the lockout end. Martin's Denver teammates J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler had also signed in China, and both remain there.
Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that FIBA granted the necessary letter of clearance to Martin after the Chinese league failed to respond to the power forward's request.
Martin is now an unrestricted free agent. Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that the L.A. Clippers' Vinny Del Negro and Neil Olshey recently met with Martin and believe they have a strong chance of landing the defensive-minded power forward. He would be backing up Blake Griffin and playing with former teammate Chauncey Billups.
Kenyon Martin Reportedly Reaches Deal With Clippers
Kenyon Martin, cleared by FIBA this week to return to the NBA after a partial season in the Chinese Basketball Association, has reached a deal with the L.A. Clippers, reports the Los Angeles Times. The deal is said to be worth the mini mid-level exception, which is for up to $9.3 million over three seasons. It's unclear for how long Martin's deal will run.
It's also unclear how the NBA will deal with pressure from Chinese officials claiming that Martin is required to wait until the end of his CBA team's season on February 16 before he can sign a deal with any other league. The Chinese government passed a rule during the NBA lockout barring teams from signing players under NBA contract -- Martin was a free agent -- and disallowing teams from releasing NBA players once the lockout ended. But Martin applied for FIBA clearance after Chinese officials reportedly failed to respond to a request from the veteran power forward. The international governing body granted that request, and the NBA notified teams this week that Martin was available.
Martin will back up Blake Griffin in L.A., and likely serve as the third big in the rotation as did Reggie Evans. Evans is averaging 16 minutes per game in that role. Martin averaged a career low 26 minutes per game last season.
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Feb 03 1:05p by Tom Ziller - 1 comment