The Value of John Wall
If there’s one specific NBA player who doesn’t receive much attention nowadays, it’s John Wall. And rightfully so, as the former 1st overall draft pick has only suited up for 40 games since the end of the 2018-19 season.
While Wall last played during the 2020-2021 campaign with the Houston Rockets, fans know the kind of player he can be when healthy. In 40 games that season, he averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game.
Following that brief stretch, reports indicate that John Wall and the Rockets had an agreement to prioritize the development of the team’s young core, including Jalen Green. With Kevin Porter Jr. getting the starting point guard role, the team offered Wall the role as a back-up- an offer the 31-year-old North Carolina-born star didn’t find appealing.
Throughout the 2021-2022 season, Wall and the team tried to work things out to send the top pick in the 2010 NBA Draft elsewhere. Unfortunately, no deal materialized partly due to Wall’s expensive contract and the fact that he still hds one season left in his $171-million deal with the Rockets.
As a result, Wall sat out the entire 2021-2022 season while earning 44 million dollars in the process. If the five-time NBA All-Star picks up his player option for the 2022-2023 season, that will pay him $47 million dollars- the second-highest salary for that season.
With many believing that Wall and the Rockets are no longer interested in revisiting any kind of return to a starting role for the veteran guard, it’s safe to say that John Wall is already on his way out of Houston.
Buyout is the Way Out
While the Rockets could try and find a trade partner for John Wall, it would be difficult given the lack of interest from other teams in the past, and many clubs currently facing cap issues. Given that no trade materialized during the 2022 NBA Draft, Wall’s chances of getting out of Houston are almost assuredly tied to a buyout deal.
Given Wall’s injuries and the value he is due on the remainder of his contract, teams would be hesitant to give up assets even if they wanted to gamble on the star. It also didn’t help that the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t so much as kick the tires on the Rockets’ offer of a John Wall-Russell Westbrook swap.
At this point, most rival clubs will simply play the waiting game, and force Houston’s hand in the buyout market. Then they can swoop in and acquire Wall at a fraction of the price, without having to give up assets in return.
While Wall would be 32 by the start of the 2022-2023 season, many believe he still has a few good years left in his tank. That’s assuming he could stay healthy in the long run.
If a buyout agreement is reached, three teams are reportedly interested in signing Wall as a free agent: the Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, and the Miami Heat.
All three teams could instantly benefit from getting John Wall as his veteran experience would prove invaluable to any team with championship aspirations. While the aforementioned teams are all loaded, we shouldn’t be surprised if one of them decides to gamble on Wall. After all, averaging 20.6 points per game during an injury-shortened season is nothing to sneeze at.
Each of the three teams believe they’re currently in their “window to compete” and could be a player away from making a deep postseason run. The Heat may be looking to replace Kyle Lowry’s minutes after he faltered down the stretch in the 2022 playoffs. Meanwhile both Los Angeles based teams could use a former All-Star point guard to help distribute the ball to their All-NBA level forwards in Leonard/George and James/Davis.
Initial reports indicate that the Clippers could have the inside track on acquiring his services. But until the pen is officially put to paper, you can expect other members of the NBA fraternity to give their best sales pitches to the 5x All-Star.
-Iggy Gonzales
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