NBA Free Agency Rumors: Kenyon Martin Spurns Hawks, Signs With LA Clippers

On Friday, the Atlanta Hawks came up empty in their search for a low-cost stop-gap replacement for injured All-Star Al Horford, as former Denver Nuggets PF Kenyon Martin agreed to a contract with the LA Clippers instead of the Hawks.

Martin, a 34-year old 6'9 240 PF, had been playing in the Chinese Basketball Association during the lockout and was supposed to be ineligible to play until the CBA's regular season ended in March. However, the NBA agreed to lift Martin's ineligibility, something the CBA is reportedly still fighting, as there are three more former NBA players -- JR Smith, Wilson Chandler and Aaron Brooks -- playing in China who are undoubtedly itching to jump back across the Pacific Ocean.

While Martin has long since lost the explosiveness that made him an All-Star in the early 2000's, he's still a live body defensively as well as an excellent passer and interior scorer, and he would have provided a huge lift off the bench for Atlanta.

In 48 games with the Nuggets last year, the University of Cincinnati product averaged 8.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists on 51.1% shooting.

Kenyon Martin's struggles to don an Atlanta Hawks jersey - or any from the NBA - aren't through yet. Tom Ziller profiles the messy break up between Martin and the Chinese Basketball Association, one that was thought to be over with when Martin's request to leave was met with no response by the CBA. That silence gave Martin the go-ahead to sign with a NBA team, at least according to FIBA (the international governing body of basketball... think the U.N. of hoops).

Now Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting the CBA will fight Martin's move to leave, and the issue could complicate the ability for other American players stuck in China (like J.R. Smith) to get out early.

If Martin breaks free of the CBA, Ziller reports that there's a host of teams stateside willing to employ him:

The L.A. Clippers, Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks are reportedly top options for Martin, an experienced defender and former No. 1 pick. He has spent his entire NBA career with the New Jersey Nets and Nuggets.

For more news on the Atlanta Hawks, check out Peachtree Hoops, and for news and info from across the NBA, check out SB Nation's NBA page.

According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, former Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin has been given permission by FIBA -- the governing body of international basketball -- clearance to return to the NBA immediately and he could be signed by a team after the weekend. Wojnarowski reported that Martin, known as K-Mart, met with the Atlanta Hawks, one of the five teams interested, on Thursday.

The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers are supposedly the favorite teams to sign Martin, but he and his agent, Andy Miller, are going to decide where the best place for Martin to sign a contract by Monday.

For now, the plan is for Martin to travel to the team's city on Monday to take a physical, sign a contract and work out for perhaps a week before he's activated.

Martin signed with a team in China in the offseason and due to rules, players who do so are not usually able to sign with NBA teams until the final game of the season in China. However, since the Chinese Basketball Association was slow to respond to a request to allow Martin to return to the NBA immediately, FIBA stepped in and made the decision for them.

According to Nate Timmons from SB Nation's Denver Nuggets blog, Denver Stiffs, the Nuggets have no interest in re-signing Martin, but that Martin is "intrigued by the ample amount of playing time available" due to the injury to Al Horford.

Martin, who started with the New Jersey Nets in the 2000 season before signing with the Nuggets, has averaged 13.5 and 7.2 rebounds per game throughout his career.

For more on the Atlanta Hawks, check out Peachtree Hoops.