The Rockets appear unlikely to be able to trade veteran guard John Wall, owed $47.4 million in the final year of his contract in 2022-23.
But it turns out they might not have to.
Per Marc Stein of The Stein Line, there are some “serious murmurs” about Wall and the Rockets negotiating a buyout of his contract, assuming no trade can be made.
Not surprisingly, Wall is picking up the option on his contract, as relayed by Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Should the sides reach a deal on a buyout, the Heat and Clippers are expected to be among those with an interest in Wall, per Stein. And yes, same goes for the Lakers.
Specifically, Stein wrote that “the Lakers — resistant as they remain to trading Russell Westbrook to Houston for Wall by attaching draft capital as a sweetener for the Rockets — would consider Wall as a candidate for the roster if he is suddenly available via the buyout market.”
Wall did not play last season as the Rockets sought a trade, and both sides are indeed expected to work on a resolution ahead of next season, per Charania.
Wall, 31, appeared in 40 games in 2020-21, his first with the Rockets, averaging 20.6 points and 6.9 assists. Along the way, he proved to be a leader and a true professional in a losing situation.
He did not play the year before that after suffering a left heel/Achilles infection. In all, he has played just 72 games over the previous five seasons.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, Wall spent the first nine years of his career with the Wizards.
Hoops Wire will have more on what’s next for Wall, agent Rich Paul and the Rockets as the story develops. Until then, you can check out our Rockets page right here.
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