It's not like KJ Martin left an excellent impression with the Utah Jazz. If he did, they wouldn't have cut him in favor of Kevin Love. However, it was shocking that no one gave him a shot last year after they did. Well, after a year give or take, Martin has finally gotten his chance in the most typical way a Jazz alum has continued his NBA career: joining the Minnesota Timberwolves.
HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported that Martin has joined Minnesota on a training camp deal, where he'll compete for a spot. In so doing, he also joins the likes of Rudy Gobert and Cody Williams as Jazz alumni who became Timberwolves afterward.
This is also the second consecutive year a Jazz alum has opted to join the Timberwolves after the Jazz cut ties, as the one prior was Johnny Juzang. He made the team, but didn't play much of a role for Minnesota when it was all said and done.
It's just funny to think of the list of Jazz alumni never stops growing since making the Gobert trade four years ago, as it now includes him, Martin, Williams, Juzang, Mike Conley Jr., Joe Ingles, Kyle Anderson, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Timberwolves could be the key to unlocking Martin
Minnesota's player development speaks for itself, and it's helped Jazz alumni like NAW reach new levels no one thought he would. It's not like it's a given, but there have been quite a few players that have figured themselves out with the Timberwolves.
In Martin's case, he is an athletic, rim-running lob threat who they definitely could use after trading Naz Reid to Charlotte for LaMelo Ball, and dumping Julius Randle to Brooklyn. Martin doesn't have the same ceiling as them (as far as we know), but a training camp deal doesn't scream "Reid/Randle replacement."
It screams more of a replacing them in the aggregate. Because Minnesota has gotten the most out of the least likely of players, Martin is actually a pretty fair flyer for them. There's a scenario where this works for both sides, where he may not have to get another training camp invite for some time.
Plus, the Timberwolves have always taken interest in adding Jazz alumni, as we have previously delved into. Martin isn't the most notable Jazz alum, but they are still the last team he played for before joining the Timberwolves. With what Minnesota wants to do this season, buying low on him can't hurt them.
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