NBA Free Agency 2012: Kenyon Martin Is Still Possible for New York

You may remember a week ago when Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com tweeted out to his followers that sources said Kenyon Martin would not sign for the veteran's minimum. 

Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com thinks that Martin is running out of time and options—and I completely agree with him; this leaves hope for every Knicks fan.

While K-Mart, a 12-year veteran, is looking for more than just the veteran's minimum, teams simply don't have that kind of money to offer a backup power forward, nor are they willing to commit more to a bench player.

Kennedy wrote that both the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are interested in Martin, but neither should entice him more than New York.

For one, New York has many people familiar with Martin and his game: Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Marcus Camby and Raymond Felton all played with Kenyon in their Denver Nuggets days. Looking even further back, Martin teamed up with Jason Kidd in New Jersey where the two had great chemistry.

Considering the second unit will be headed by Jason Kidd, Martin could see his points per game increase from last season if he paired with the Knicks and Kidd.

In 42 games with the Clippers, he averaged just 5.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. While this kind of production isn't great, it is a significant upgrade from Jared Jeffries. 

The amount of playing time he would see in New York could be greater than elsewhere as a backup power forward, simply because Amar'e Stoudemire often gets in foul trouble and we're still unsure how Amar'e and Carmelo will mesh.   

Martin would bring toughness to the second unit—clearly a void that was taken advantage of by opponents last season—and he would not allow any easy buckets.

The Knicks need Kenyon Martin, and they should pursue him before he goes to that other team in New York.