AUBURN HILLS – U.S. Olympic coach Larry Brown dropped a big hint that Kenyon Martin will be invited to play in Athens for the Summer Games.

Martin was an emergency replacement for Karl Malone on last summer’s gold-medal-winning qualifying club. Martin’s addition would give the Nets three Team USA members, if Jason Kidd does not pull out because of his bad knee.

With the loss of Kobe Bryant on Friday due to his legal problems, Brown apparently wants Martin’s athleticism. Martin hasn’t heard one way or another and was said to be making other plans.

“I’d be very surprised if they weren’t on the team again this summer,” Brown said of the Nets trio of Kidd, Martin and Richard Jefferson. “I know three players on that team real well. They’re what our league is supposed to be about – Jason, Richard and Kenyon.”

Martin played for the qualifying club during his honeymoon after Malone withdrew because of a death in the family. Martin didn’t receive much playing time, but Brown knows Martin’s game is getting better.

“He’s a special player with great energy,” Brown said. “I watched the New York series and he even took his game another step.”

Although Tim Thomas questioned his toughness, Martin exploded in the Knick series, averaging 23.3 points on 64-percent shooting.

Without Bryant, Team USA is down to eight definites – Kidd, Jefferson, Ray Allen, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Jermaine O’Neal, Tracy McGrady and Mike Bibby. If Kidd withdraws, Knicks president Isiah Thomas is hoping Stephon Marbury will be considered.

Brown also revealed yesterday that he recruited Kidd when the Oakland phenom was 13. The Hall of Fame coach was near the end of his five-year stint with Kansas that concluded with an NCAA championship in 1988. In that final year, he learned about the point-guard prodigy from an old ABA teammate who lived in Oakland. “I go way back with Jason,” said Brown, who hopped to the pros with San Antonio while Kidd stayed close to home at California.