When the Rockets and John Wall agreed prior to the 2021/22 season that the point guard would sit out while the team worked to find a new home, both sides likely hoped the situation would be resolved by this point.
However, the February 10 trade deadline came and went without the Rockets finding a deal they liked. And now that March 1 (the deadline for a player to be waived while maintaining his playoff eligibility) has passed, it appears virtually certain that Wall will remain on Houston’s inactive list for the remainder of this season.
While that outcome may not be what the Rockets or Wall wanted, it doesn’t come as a major surprise. The point guard’s $44.3MM cap hit this season and $47.3MM player option for next season made it virtually impossible to move him for anything of value. There were rumors that Houston would’ve taken on Russell Westbrook‘s nearly identical contract in exchange for Wall if the Lakers were willing to throw in a future first-round pick or a swap, but L.A. had little interest in that trade structure.
This winter was also probably still too early for the Rockets and Wall to seriously explore a buyout. In recent years, we’ve seen Kemba Walker and Blake Griffin reach buyout agreements with two years left on their respective contracts, but they gave up significant chunks of money in those deals ($20MM for Walker and $13MM+ for Griffin). Wall likely isn’t eager to surrender that much of his remaining salary, and the Rockets may continue to hold out hope they can find a suitable trade partner.
It seems safe to assume this situation won’t be resolved before this season ends, but the Rockets and Wall will probably do all they can to avoid extending the standoff into the 2022/23 regular season. That means this offseason will be crucial.
In theory, once Wall’s contract is an expiring deal, it’ll be a little easier to move. But there still won’t be many teams willing to take on $47MM in salary for a 32-year-old guard who seemed to have lost a step due to injuries even before he sat out for an entire season.
The Rockets’ best hope is that the Lakers become more open to the idea of a Westbrook/Wall swap, but if that doesn’t happen, it’s hard to find a good trade fit. A package made up of Evan Fournier, Nerlens Noel, Walker, and Taj Gibson would work financially, but even if the Knicks are motivated to get off a couple of those contracts, I’m unconvinced they’d be satisfied with a return consisting only of Wall. Frankly, that sort of package might make more sense for Westbrook.
Pairing Wall with a more desirable trade candidates such as Christian Wood or Eric Gordon could be an option the Rockets explore, but the more salary they add to Wall’s $47MM+ cap hit, the trickier it’ll be to find a match — it’s not easy for most teams to package $50MM+ in player salaries for matching purposes.
If Houston is unable to make a trade, the two sides could get more serious about buyout discussions. A handful of teams would reportedly be interested in Wall if he were to become a free agent, so the Rockets could allow his agent to talk to those clubs to get a sense of how much they’d be willing to offer him — Walker and the Thunder took this route last year, so Kemba knew he’d have an $18MM deal on the table from the Knicks after giving back $20MM to Oklahoma City.
The Heat and Clippers are among the clubs that have been identified in recent months as possible suitors for Wall if he reaches free agency. David Aldridge of The Athletic added another intriguing team to that list today, reporting that Wall would be open to the idea of returning to the Wizards and has recently discussed that possibility with people close to him.
As Aldridge acknowledges, Wizards owner Ted Leonsis and star guard Bradley Beal would both have to sign off on a Wall reunion. Leonsis was “legit angry” in 2020 after a video surfaced of Wall flashing gang signs at his birthday party and was “ready for a divorce,” according to Aldridge. Additionally, there was a sense in D.C. that the Wall/Beal partnership had run its course by the time Wall was traded to Houston.
Still, while Beal isn’t necessarily advocating for the Wizards to reacquire Wall, he wouldn’t dismiss the idea out of hand, Aldridge says. Washington will be in the market for a point guard this summer, and the possibility of bringing back Wall for part of the mid-level exception would presumably be far more appealing than having him on a maximum-salary contract.
We want to know what you think. What does Wall’s future hold? Will the Rockets be able to make a trade this offseason? If so, which trade partner steps up to acquire the five-time All-Star? If not, how much should he be willing to give up in a buyout, and where would he sign as a free agent? Do you expect resolution this summer, or will Wall still be on Houston’s roster in the fall?
Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!
I think Houston consistently scapegoats people and tries to end their careers
Examples?
Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, John Wall, Kevin McHale, in recent times, off the top of my head
The common theme with all those players is James Harden, and he isn’t on the team anymore.
Jon Barry, Brent Barry and Rick Barry
Wall, Melo, Battier, Ariza. Quite a few though IDK all their stories closely.
Scapegoating is not actually a good strategy for trading so it probably would not be too obvious.
Clippers
I’d love to see this guy back in DC
I think Houston is being smart here, no way lakers find any other takers next season so they’ll have to do something rather than run it back when they eventually fail in the postseason
One word in the future
Lakers
Nowhere to go
If Westbrook buyout, Wall buyout
Wall showed that he still has some of his old skills though greatly diminished during his run last season before Houston shut him down. He’s definitely not worth $47 million though. I could see some team taking a flyer on him at the deadline next season but whoever did would have to wonder how much of an effect the equivalent of 2 seasons off would have.
I mean the most likely is Russ for Wall but that does nothing for the Rockets.
Wall is at least sitting out quietly and peacefully I’m sure Russ would be more vocal if they tried to shut him down. So if anything it’s probably better for them to just stay as is on that deal.
Besides that I mean your going to have to add something to Wall to make him more desirable. I’d say Christian Wood makes the most sense cause you have Sengun who can just slit in and replace him straight away and next year will be the last year remaining of his contract. But in saying that your still going to be hard pressed trying to find a team that’ll match salaries with 57mil of incoming money.
Rockets are probably better off buying Wall out or just having him sit as he is unless the Lakers or Knicks are desperate enough to give up something worth while
I think the only way he moves is if it’s in tandem with Gordon to LAL for Russ + THT and pick(s). Having said that I think that if that’s the best LAL can get for RWB they might actually consider testing the market for AD.
The problem with other offers like NY (IMO) is that Houston has no incentive to take back filler contracts like Fournier or Noel unless picks are attached. But what team is *that* desperate to clear cap room?
We’re in an era where stars just demand to be traded to wherever they like, whenever they like, which indirectly devalues cap space somewhat significantly.
Yeah exactly I think the exact same thing why bother to take back fillers unless you get picks
I’m not even sure if it’s possible but I wonder if the Knicks could sign and trade Mitchell Robinson as apart of a package.
Like instead of Randle Fouriner Burks and Noel for Wall and Wood. (Which is what it would take to match salaries)
They do something like Randle, Mitchell Robinson (sign and trade) and Burks.
Sign Robinson to like a 20mil a season 3 year deal.
The Rockets may actually have some interest in getting someone young and with potential like Mitch Robinson. Although it’s a big overpay it’s better than paying Wall or taking back a bunch of fillers.
He will sit on the couch counting million dollar bills next season, and then go play in China.
RE: the Knicks deal I think it might make less sense for Houston than NY. What’s Fournier and Noel doing for that roster? I think I’d rather have the expiring.
From NY’s vantage point, getting the money off the books might be worth it, even if no picks are attached.
Wall and Russ are probably at least comparable assets now – Wall might be slightly less toxic if for no other reason than he hasn’t had the chance to be. But I think any team trading for Russ or Wall will be doing it for future assets and/or the expiring contract – with no real aspirations of integrating either into their roster.
I agree to some extent that such a deal wouldn’t appeal to Houston, but I feel like there’s at least a possibility that guys like Fournier and Noel could be flipped for positive value later in their contracts if they stay healthy and play like they’re capable of. I don’t think that possibility exists with Wall.
Basically like the Porzingis to Washington deal – one large toxic contract for multiple smaller toxic contracts.
I did fail to consider that Fournier seems to thrive exclusively on terrible teams, so that makes some sense – hope he puts up 20ppg on a 20-62 Houston team and bait some contender into giving up a future 1st for him.
How can you sit a player. And just tank for a better pick. How blatant can you be. They created the lottery system so teams wouldn’t tank for top pick. Yet they still tank for lottery picks. Like Sixers, OKC, Rockets, Magic. But this is a healthy player. I don’t see how this is allowed. I’m an owner I would sue……
You got teams tanking for top 5 picks.
And in NY we got Thibs playing for the 11-12 pick. Makes NoFsense.
They are at least sitting him to play young guys. I agree it is ridiculous to just bench him all season. What is the point? Even if you bring him off the bench…unless he doesn’t want to play. The whole thing is screwy.
Wall himself said he is willing to play but doesn’t want to come off the bench. They need starters minutes to develop Green and Porter.
All three can play 30 mins. No problem. Wall should be playing and mentoring them both. God only knows Porter needs it bad. It’s not right imo
I don’t get how you can sit an entire year because they wont let you start. How is that different than the current Westbrook situation? At least Russ is out there.
If I’m Wall. I’m kool with it. Cause I get to heal and just bank it. But If I’m another lottery team. I’m pissed lol. This yr a top 5 pick is a nice player. Very Nice
What future?
Both Wall and Westbrook are still talents next 5 years
It depends on what contract you’d like to offer
As I said
Westbrook needs to opt out, then resign with Lakers 4 years $60 million
Isn’t that wonderful for Westbrook to be in trade market every day?
I agree. Rather than a buy-out, they should negotiate an opt-out of the player option in return for a tradeable contract.
Russ/Wall probably could earn up to 10 million a year with another team.
Give them 4 years for 47 + 3×10 = 77 million for four years, minus them giving up some money to be free. You end up at 60-70 million for 4 years, a very tradeable contract of 15-17,5 million a yeat.
And make it 5 years for 70 million, with the last 2 years player option, and you end up at 12 million a year, even much better tradeable.
Wall would be under contract until age 36, Westbrook until 38. Ok, they would be a bit overpaid in their last few years, but I still think it would be a good move.
You can still buy them out in the last few years, or hope they dont pick up that player option.
Something is really screwed up in the NBA! First off, to play any basketball player $30 or $40 million dollars a year? Or give him a multiyear contract at these pay levels? What if he gets hurt right away? Do the owners have that much money to throw around? While other people work their butts off for $10 or $15 an hour? Then to sit him out like Wall or get disenchanted with him like Westbrook & want to trade him after a year or two? Or take the Ben Simmons case? Then how can any player take a buyout & give back $10 or $20 million? None of this makes sense to me at all.
It’s called talent. Market pays for talent.
One hit wonders today in pop music. Can make 8 mill or more on first album. Can put out 2-3 albums a yr.
Look man, CEO’s & other directors of big companies make more money than that, yeah that’s true, maybe there are easily 80 guys in the Coca-cola company making more than Optimus Dime makes! & you know what, they do nothing for it & for sure they do not entertain us likes these guys do, they don’t make people happy!
So if you ask me, sportsmen do deserve the money much more than the suits!
Also, don’t forget movie stars, for example Tom Cruise makes more than the money this guys make just to make one really bad movie, that might take him just a few weeks… he might even make like 3 movies a year earning over 100M!!!
So, like I said, these dudes earn every cent they make!
“Do the owners have that much money to throw around?”
Yes. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t.
Wall is a loser and his NBA career is over. Everybody understands when you dont play because of injuries, but this year is different. He is another one of those guys who refuse to accept a bench role. It’s totally unacceptable when you are getting paid $47m. He will lose out in the end because no nba team will offer him a contract, let alone a starting role. His next stop will be in China!
John Wall’s future is
A. Sunny
B. Cloudy
C. Dim
D. Black Hole
Sunny …..
He’s making 90 mil in two yrs. This yr sitting and next yr (who knows).
If John Wall or even Brick becomes a FA and they don’t end up in Philly I’ll be pretty disappointed. But I’d understand if they got a starting gig somewhere else. They’d be a super-6th man in Philly.
There will be a resolution of Wall’s situation this summer. Either they’ll use his contract in a trade or, if they can’t, release him (I don’t see him having to give back anything above minimum wage), and decide at that point whether it’s beneficial to take the hit in one year or W&S him.
If I’m the Knicks trading for wall is a not as bad as they think. They Knicks have a young team that are on cheap contracts right now and they can play. Quickly McBride Quentin Barrett reddish toppin Mitch all have talent. Instead of trading them for somebody like dame which won’t make sense cuz they will have to give Portland anything they want where the rockets just want wall gone and get somethings back. Randle Burks noel Fournier kemba can be moved to match wall and another player. They can get it done if the give some future first rounders after 2023 like the 2024 & 2026 the won’t need them with this year top draft pick plus second rounder. And 2023 draft where they can have 3 first round picks if they are eligible to swap with Charlotte. So that’s alot of young players to go with the ones they already got
Wall is underated he can play make has handles play defense and he wasn’t a great shooter back then but now he can hit shots at a better clip.
He has the balance because he not a score first guard he has the balance of knowing when to score and when to give the ball up.
I don’t think the Knicks should go after Ivey they trying to hype him up like he the next ja but he is not. He most likely gonna pick before the Knicks pick and they shouldn’t settle for ty ty Washington they should pick the best available player. Keegan Murray would help ny so much on the wing because he can defend multiple positions and he is an elite scorer start looking at him ahead of ivery