The James Harden trade between the Rockets and the Thunder may end up going down as one of the worst trades in NBA history, and numerous players may have their careers defined by that transaction. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook may constantly fall short of a ring without their former partner in crime James Harden to get them over the hump. On the other hand, Harden may have never had the opportunity to become the first option on a team, and get his chance to shine, and the Rockets probably never even sniff the Dwight Howard sweepstakes.

However, another unexpected player learned something about himself via this trade, Kevin Martin. Martin, who was the Houston Rockets best player along with Luis Scola for many years, was one of the key components in the aforementioned Harden trade. After going from first scoring option in Houston to a role player playing with stars like Durant and Westbrook, Martin has decided he will never play without a superstar again.

Here are the details from probasketballtalk.com:

Last season, as the Thunder’s sixth man, Martin had to settle into a different role. Playing with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Martin averaged just 14.0 points per game – his lowest total since his second season. He didn’t mind. In fact, that experience played a crucial role in his free agency. Martin, via Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press: “After playing with Kevin Durant and Russell, I wasn’t going to another team without a superstar,” Martin said on Saturday. “It just elevates your game and makes your life a lot easier.”

In this statement, Martin is essentially admitting he is not a superstar himself, which takes a lot for many players to do. This is great to hear from Martin, who will most likely play a very similar role in Minnesota after signing a deal with the Timberwolves this offseason, though his role will probably be a bit more significant. Additionally, the statement displays the confidence Martin has in the current T’Wolves roster, especially Kevin Love, the “superstar” Martin is probably referring to on his new team.

By: Frank Santos- Pass the Pill Manager