The Rockets will regain the services of at least one recently absent player in time for their New Year’s Eve matchup versus Miami, with reserve forward KJ Martin now cleared from the NBA’s health and safety protocols. He had missed Houston’s previous two games, both losses.
Martin was a full participant in Thursday’s practice at Toyota Center and said afterward that he felt completely fine. Thus, he’s expected to be ready to go for Friday’s home matchup versus the Heat.
Martin told reporters that he tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday in Charlotte, but negative on Tuesday and Wednesday in Houston. He never had any symptoms and is fully vaccinated and boosted.
Now 20 years old, the athletic 6-foot-6 forward is averaging 7.8 points (53.7%) and 3.4 rebounds in 18.1 minutes. The Rockets traded for the right to select Martin in the second round of the 2020 NBA draft.
K.J. Martin said he tested positive in Charlotte on Monday but was asymptomatic. He then tested negative Tuesday and Wednesday, which allowed him to clear protocols and return today. He said he feels perfectly fine.
— Danielle Lerner (@danielle_lerner) December 30, 2021
Martin’s minutes could potentially go up some in the short-term, since Jae’Sean Tate and Garrison Mathews — who Martin sometimes competes with for minutes at the forward spots — still remain in the NBA’s protocol for the time being. Head coach Stephen Silas said after Thursday’s practice that he was hopeful of more players being cleared this weekend, but that he was not yet treating it as the expectation.
Stephen Silas says there is a hope but not an expectation that Garrison Mathews, Jae’Sean Tate, or D.J. Augustin could get out of Health and Safety Protocols in time for the back-to-back
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) December 30, 2021
KJ said he tested positive in Charlotte, then tested negative every time after that. He had no symptoms, but said he felt like he was out for a month.
— Cayleigh Griffin (@cayleighgriffin) December 30, 2021
