The Wizards and the Rockets have talked about making a star-studded point guard swap, having explored trading former All-Star point guard John Wall for current All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium (Twitter link). Charania notes that Houston currently desires additional pieces in the deal, and that there is “no traction” for the trade just yet.
Wall, 30, has not played in an NBA game for the Wizards since December 26, 2018, felled by a series of injuries, including a torn Achilles. Westbrook, 32, recently requested a trade out of Houston following his inaugural season with the team.
Were this potential move to materialize, it could indicate that the Wizards are striving to improve their roster to entice star shooting guard Bradley Beal, 27, to stay with the team and not ask for a trade himself. Beal has two guaranteed years and $63.25MM left on his contract, with a $37.3MM player option for the 2022/23 season.
Though Rockets star guard Westbrook is not much of a floor spacer, his dynamic scoring, passing and rebounding – plus his consistent on-court availability – could greatly help the Wizards, a team that finished the 2019/20 season just outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture with the No. 9 seed.
Conversely, trading the relatively active Westbrook to the Wizards for the oft-hurt Wall could indicate a willingness from the Rockets front office to consider James Harden trade offers, after their MVP-caliber guard requested a trade of his own.
Westbrook and Wall’s contracts are remarkably similar in terms of length and price, though obviously the on-court risks associated with adding Wall are significantly greater. Assuming Westbrook opts in to the final year of his contract with the Rockets, Westbrook has three seasons and $132.6MM remaining. Wall has three years and $132.9MM left on his deal, assuming he opts into the final year of his own deal with the Wizards.
Wow!!!! Rockets might be able to make it out of this thing after all. If wall doesn’t work they can trade harden for additional picks and assets!
You think getting Wall and the 132 million owed to him is the Rockets “making it out of this thing”?
Westbrick isn’t a good player. Wall at his peak 2/3 years ago was a better player. Not hard to see a retool if assets might keep harden, if not they can trade harden at deadline. Especially if they can add a big like Ibaka or cousins they will be in great shape. The 2 1st rounders they got for roco was only the first step of a rebuild.
Be realistic. It’s just trading one overrated, overpaid player for another
Isn’t a good player? Come’on man, if you don’t like him say just so, but really, dude averaged a triple double like 3 years in a row, and was league MVP. Your statements are losing credibility. Isn’t a good player, smh.
Right? You can hate on Westbrook, you can hate his salary, you can say he isn’t great. But isn’t good? Seriously.
Empty stats don’t equal wins. Using a triple double as an argument shows the homerism.
Of course, because SO many have averaged a triple double over the course of a SEASON…
Do you know what “good” means though? There are over 500 players who played in the NBA last year, so lets say 250 is average, meaning anyone better than average is “good”. You got 249 players you want over Westbrook? You chose the wrong word, admit it and move on.
This video highlights the flaws to russell game and why his stats are empty.
link to youtu.be
Feel free to learn.
Oh, cool a video! Here is Mark Zuckerberg talking to astronauts. link to youtube.com
Your head is empty. Anyone who needs videos or writers telling them what to believe. Only shows your game is WEAK. You gotta be the weakest Link.
Show me one team that has successfully “rebuilt”
You know what a triple double is. Wall is coming off injury. We don’t even know him yet. Speed was his biggest strength. That might be a problem now. It’s a good move for Wizards child. Meant to keep Beal happy. Don’t see Rockets doing this. It’s too much a gamble now.
For all the Westbrook deniers ———- and the FanBoy here >>>>>>>>
Wall career stats — 35.9 mins a gm
19 pts, 9.2 ast, 4.3 reb, 1.7 stl, 3.8 Tov,
.78 % FT, .433?%FG on 6.9/15.9 shots
5 time all star. (37 gms) Playoffs 21.9 pts, 9.8 ast, 5.3 reb, .419 %FG
Westbrook career stats — 34.6 mins a gm
23.2 pts, 8.3 ast, 7.1 reb, 1.7 stl, 4.1 Tov
.80 %FT, .437 %FG on 8.2/18.8 shots
MVP, 3 triple double yrs. say again
———— Three Triple Double YEARS —— — —
9 time all star.
(106 gms) Playoffs 24.8 pts, 7.7 ast, 7 reb,
.411 %FG,
You welcome …….
Wall was better hahaha
Russ at his peak was MVP and averaged a triple double for like three seasons.
Wall is a standard 18–9 sorta bloke nothing that special at all.
Both can shoot, both like the ball in their hands and both are hugely overpaid
Actually Westbrook’s biggest flaw is that he shoots bricks. Dynamic player for sure, but not a very good shooter. He can get to the rim, though.
I would rather Wall on my side though. WAS should be saying no, especially if they have to include picks. Unless he turns out fragile… Westbrook isn’t.
Beal would probably side with Wall, even with the arguing. Wall is younger.
Interesting. Contracts are almost identical in length and money owed. Westbrook is clearly the more valuable player due to health, so a Washington first and Wall is pretty fair.
Wall could actually come back as a pretty damn good player alongside Harden in that backcourt.
Wall’s whole thing was being fast. Lightning fast. Even if he comes back 90 percent as fast as before his game will suffer greatly.
That wasn’t his WHOLE thing. That was just a part of the whole. He is arguably the best passer in the league.
Yeah “arguably” because russell westbrook has been considered the best. Westbrook, paul, rondo and then wall or lebron behind them based on stats the year before last when wall actually played
No arguably because one can make an argument that the guy with over 9 career assists per game is the best passer. Of course Paul falls into that category as well. Westbrook is not far behind at 8.5 either. The point was that speed is not the entirety of John Wall’s game.
Speed is his biggest thing. Not saying he won’t adjust. But it’s not guaranteed. Things will have to change. So it’s best to wait a yr and give a look. It’s the smart thing to do. Did Rose come back. It took him more than awhile to find success again. Wall may not be an all star again. But he can still be effective. We all need to wait n see.
You forgot Luka
Luka is good for sure, but he doesn’t have the lengthy track record yet of the other three. In time, he may be best. But when you talk about best passer or best scorer or best rebounder in the league, that is more of a veteran title. The young guys can eventually grow into the title, but for now they are looking up at the older guys.
Season hasn’t even started yet and we haven’t seen Wall on the court for almost 2 years. Why everebody keeps writing him off?
He may or may not return in good shape but before all those speculations maybe we should at least see him in action and then judge?
His contract looks bad but he still earned his bag by many years of good play for DC & even Beal is probably waiting to see how it’s gonna work between them so…
Trade would make both teams worse IMO.
Seems like a real nothing move for either side. Rockets get what an extra first or two for the worse of the two. Wizards get a slightly better PG but an older one and it cost them a couplet firsts …
Seems stupid.
Wizards should try swap John Wall for Terry Rozier, Cody Zeller and a first.
Rozier is younger, cheaper and wouldn’t dominate the ball as much. Zeller would be a good vet in a position of need on a handy 1 year deal. Plus you get an extra first round pick.
Hornets get the all star ish level point guard they think they need. (Stupid decision really)
This trade makes no sense for Rockets.
I like it if they get more 1st the drop off from russell to wall isn’t much both have seen better days. Harden isn’t a good pg, if they can put ball in walls hand and let harden off ball it could potentially provide space and touches. Houston could sign a big and run it back one more time, should they not make any noise they trade harden to highest bidder.
When Harden was a full-time PG he led the league in assists…he isn’t a CP3 level PG but I wouldn’t classify him as “not good”
He doesn’t know what “good” means.
Rockets have surrendered.
Rockets are doomed if this trade goes down.
I don’t really see the logic for either team here. Trading just to trade is foolhardy as best.
For someone with a gambling mentality, who thinks they’re right, it’s a golden opportunity to beat another GM. Can’t say this is the case here though. Stone wants to run it back, Sheppard too with his long-awaited +1.
Don’t think wall will be back to his old self . Hopefully he worked on his jump shoot . I guess Houston are going to rebuild ? Seeing Westbrook playing with Beal will be fun but first round exit is written all over that team. But I guess you have to try
Sorry, I don’t know that Westbrook is better than Wall until after the season starts. Wall would have to be pretty limited before I put Westbrook ahead of him.
Does Bradley Beal feel differently?
Beal is signed for 2 more years too bad if he wants out. Don’t sign the extension then. These players are such babies
I’d take Wall and a 1st (9th pick) in a heartbeat. Westbrook was playing fantastic until the shut down where he got Covid and then played through an injured quad in the playoffs. He’s good but why not roll the dice on Wall. Gives us two 1s to start the rebuild. If it’s true that Harden wants out because the owner supports Republicans then send him packing in the right deal. I would take a top 3 pick this year, 1st next year and matching salaries. That would give us 5 3s in next two years with chance to add more from flipping Tucker.
But…why?
Because with Lebron and Davis in LA, Steph, Thompson, and Green with GS, Leonard and George with LAC, and Luca and Porzingis in Dallas, and Jokic and Murray in Denver it’s a really good time to rebuild in Houston instead of paying 260 million to Harden and Westbrook to be at best a 3 seed and done in 2nd round or semifinals of playoffs.
The Rockets are coming across as desperate and just scrambling lately.
How? They’ve made one trade, and honestly I thought that was a pretty good trade for them. Those of us living in Houston, who have had to deal with Bill O’Brien completely gutting our football team, probably feel like that trade by the Rockets was a gold mine of a haul. Two different sports, I know, but it’s nice to have a real GM. Everything else we have heard so far has just been rumors, and no other trades have been made.
That being said, I fully expect Westbrook and Harden to be gone by the start of the season but I still wouldn’t say the Rockets have looked desperate or are scrambling in any way. They’ve had players request trades and they’re looking into it.
Thank God O’Brien is gone.
Wall-RW swap is the one trade that Houston can do that should yield them some good draft picks. I’m not sure about the impact on Beal, who appears to be copasetic with being in Washington.
I do not think that trade will happen but if it does I think both players would just move from one bad situation to another
O my goodness this trade would be crazy for the rockets to make. Although John Wall will be healthy next season. He coming off an major injuring and probably won’t be same player. Houston should be looking for a Westbrook deal that includes draft picks and assets. New York and charlotte can offer those type of deals.
Rockets would win the trade
So Wiz prefer Russ over Wall??? Hmm!!!!! Talk about trying to upset Beal.
Don’t do this trade, Houston.
The fact that this is a dividing topic is weird because I see this as an absolute win for the Wizards depending on what they’re giving up for Russ.
I think it is very telling that both sides of this deal see it as a loss for their team. To me, that means it is probably a pretty fair deal. Whether it is a wise deal for either team is another story completely.
Exactly how many first round picks were the Wizards giving up in the deal. 4 or 5?
He said no traction. It’s just Rumors. Westbrook will go where he wants. He will have to ok deal. Not many teams can trade for him either. Rockets should shop him. He’s not staying. Dude your team is in trouble. Players in NBA might not want to go to Houston. Tillman businesses are not doing well in these times. NBA could force him to sell. Or he could sell for financial reasons. Those Trump rumors are true. Makes sense why everybody is running away lol.