NBA Rumors: Kenyon Martin Offer Will Make LA Clippers Serious Contenders

The Los Angeles Clippers are serious about competing in the NBA Finals this spring and are proving it by prepping an offer to Kenyon Martin, according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.

A number of teams are interested in acquiring K-Mart, who played for the Denver Nuggets last season and averaged 8.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks over 48 games.

Turner reported that the 6’9”, 240-pound forward recently met with Clips’ coach Vinny Del Negro and GM Neil Olshey, and it’s widely expected they will offer him their “mini mid-level” exception of $2.5 million when he becomes available.

Since Kenyon decided to sign a contract with the China-based Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers, he is unable to agree to a deal with an NBA team until their season is over. That could be as soon as February 16.

If L.A. could land him over the other teams vying for his services, such as the Heat, Spurs, Knicks and Hawks, it would be huge for their championship hopes.  The potential signing would allow them to go 10-players deep during a playoff run, if healthy.  

K-Mart is an excellent role-player who brings a lot to the table, and we’ll let Clippers guard Chauncey Billups explain why:

"

He's very valuable. Of course, he comes from winning stock. He's been to the [NBA] Finals twice. He has great ability. He is a leader. One thing I know about Kenyon, he's a winner. He'll do whatever it takes to win. He's one of the great one-on-one defensive players for a big man I've played with. And, contrary to what everybody believes, he's a really good dude.

"

The two veterans played together in Denver for the better part of three seasons and brought the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals in 2009.

Billups, a Finals MVP, knows a winner when he sees one. He helped revive the Pistons and Nuggets and now brings his veteran leadership to Clippers.

By being such close friends with K-Mart and on a team that has a real chance to win, Billups truly believes his team has a good shot of landing the power forward.

Kenyon Martin will reportedly be making his decision this weekend, and if he chooses to join the Los Angeles Clippers, they become the team to beat in the Western Conference.