4 Former Rockets the fanbase would never welcome back

The Houston Rockets have seen a lot of players come and go in recent years. Some would be welcomed back with open arms, but others are guys the fanbase is glad to be done with.

There are different reasons for that. Some have been marred by off-court issues. Others provided poor on-court production. In any event, there are some players that Rockets fans would never welcome back.

Here are four of them.

Josh Christopher

When Christopher was a Rocket, he endeared himself to some fans. He wasn't perfect. Christopher's career 27.3% shooting from deep leaves much to be desired. Still, he did demonstrate an ability to score in isolation.

That's about all he displayed. Christopher was a one-note player. If he wasn't functioning as a volume scorer, he appeared disengaged. Still, Rockets fans would be apprehensive about bringing him back due to what he's done since leaving Houston, not while he was on the team.

Last year, Christopher played 4.9 minutes per game in 14 games with the Heat. He spent most of the year with the G-League. Christopher is a fringe NBA player - there's no reason to bring him back to Houston.

Kenyon Martin Jr.

Martin Jr. has had more success than Christopher during his life after the Rockets. That's not to say he's been wildly successful. Martin Jr. played 21.2 minutes per game between his time with the Sixers and the Jazz last year. Now, ask yourself this:

What do the Sixers and the Jazz have in common?

After a rash of injuries, the Sixers effectively tanked last season. This organization is at a crossroads. The Sixers don't know if they're rebuilding or not. So, if they'd seen potential in Martin Jr., they'd have kept him.

Instead, they sent him to Salt Lake City. Martin Jr. played there, but the Jazz are another team that is content to lose. Martin Jr. has never been part of a winning NBA program. He's an inattentive defender and an inconsistent three-point shooter. Martin Jr. is a human highlight reel, but he's not productive enough to bring back to a now-contending Space City team.

Kevin Porter Jr.

This one is a sensitive subject.

Let's just say that Porter Jr. seemingly did something horrific off the court. Out of respect for a likely victim, let's leave it there.

Besides, there's plenty of negative to say about Porter Jr.

How about the time he left a game at the half? What about rumors that he broke a DJ's laptop during a club outing? Porter Jr.'s time in Houston was marred by malcontented behavior.

In fairness, he looked good for Milwaukee last year. Porter Jr. averaged an impressive 21.3 points per 75 possessions with a True Shooting % (TS%) of 61.6%. His talent isn't in question, but his attitude will always be. The Rockets don't need him at the moment, and they don't need the headache that tends to accompany him either.

Russell Westbrook

Finally, we land on a former MVP:

Emphasis on "former".

That's not to say Westbrook was bad with the Nuggets. It would be more accurate to say he was confusing. At times, it looked like he was a genius addition. At other times, the portability issues that have plagued Westbrook reared their ugly head again. Ultimately, Westbrook averaged 13.3 points and 6.1 assists in 27.9 minutes with a -1.1 Box Plus/Minus (BPM).

That typifies late-career Westbrook. He'll still put up counting stats, but he doesn't impact winning. The Rockets have enough shaky shooting on this roster. They weren't built for Westbrook in his prime, and they aren't built for him now:

They ought to leave Westbrook in the past.