The Wizards are said to be open to discussing deals involving any player on their roster, but league-wide trade interest in star point guard John Wall is “close to nonexistent,” sources tell ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider-only link). As Marks details, Wall’s super-max extension, which goes into effect next season and runs through 2022/23, has substantially diminished the 28-year-old’s value around the NBA.
“Every player in this league can be traded, but the Wall extension right now is the toughest contract I have seen a team try to move in 20 years,” one club executive told Marks. “I couldn’t look my owner in the eye and tell him there is value with the player even if we didn’t have to trade anything of significance.”
While most teams don’t have interest in acquiring Wall, clubs are still trying to figure out how his 15% trade bonus would work if he were moved this season, says Marks. Wall’s trade kicker should pay him a bonus worth 15% of the remaining salary on his contract if he’s dealt; that bonus money would typically be dispersed evenly across the remaining non-option years of the deal.
However, a trade bonus can’t increase a player’s cap hit beyond his maximum salary — Wall’s salary for 2018/19 is well below his current maximum, but he’ll start earning his max in 2019/20, which complicates how his trade bonus could be spread out across multiple years. It’s an unprecedented situation that the NBA and the players’ union didn’t anticipate.
According to Marks, if Wall were traded this season, his 15% trade kicker may just apply to his current-year salary, rather than taking his extension into account. So he’d get an extra $2MM+ this season without impacting his future cap charges.
Still, that discussion may be moot — any in-season trade involving Wall seems like a long shot, given all the future money owed to him. And even next summer, once the confusion surrounding his trade bonus clears up, the point guard likely won’t be any easier to move.
According to Marks, the consensus among team executives he spoke to was that there was no way they’d sign Wall to a four-year, $171MM contract this offseason, which is what his extension will amount to. As Marks explains, execs have – for the most part – learned their lesson about overpaying borderline stars into their 30s and will be more cautious going forward, limiting the appeal of a highly-paid player like Wall.
Walls and a pick for wiggins and teague…
more like Wall and a pick for Teague and
Gorgui Dieng
I think minny would want to get out of the long term commitment to wiggins before taking on another long deal. Besides look at the lineup it would give them :
Wall okogie Covington saric towns
Bench
Dieng rose tyus taj diop and co
Should be a great defensive team.
You stole my thunder.
Wall’s and Wiggins’ contracts are probably the most unmovable in the league. Would make for an ideal match partly because of that. Also seems obvious the Wolves have a superior player to Wiggins on the bench in Okogie and Washington needs to alter their roster.
They are a match made in heaven
Wall is not going anywhere. Washington made their bed, now they’re sleeping in it.
Wall and a 1st to the Bucks for Bledsoe/delly/Wilson
Gives Bucks their PG and gives the rebuilding wizards cap relief for the rebuild! BOOM!
The bucks didn’t give Jabari 20 mil a year and he has more potential and is just as injury prone as wall. I doubt they want to pay wall 171 mil
How does Jabari have more potential, to be a burst? i mean he has done nothing in the league, probably never will, meanwhile Wall is a multiple all-star, all-nba, great passer, athlete, defender, general on the court, totally incomparable, Jabari is not worth 10% of Wall, as simple as.
RIP Washington
I still think Utah should kick the tires on a deal for Wall. They can’t spend their cap space, because free agents don’t want to play in Utah. So, if they’re going to get an impact veteran, they’re going to have to trade for him.
Utah is an elite defensive team that struggles to score. Wall fits there, and he gives them a chance to contend this year and next, assuming everyone is healthy. They might regret it in 2022 when he’s laid up and earning $45 million, but that’s what the stretch provision is for.
If Utah can get to the finals, it could all be worth it.
I’d love him on the Bucks but that money is ridiculous for players that aren’t top 10