One of the Houston Rockets’ goals in the last NBA offseason was to trade veteran point guard, John Wall. The two sides agreed that Wall wouldn’t play for the team again and that they would work together to find him a new home.
No deal was reached before the 2021-22 season got underway, so Wall remained sidelined. Some discussions were held about Wall returning to the court about midway through the season, but instead, he remained sidelined.
A trade wasn’t consummated before the deadline, either. The closest they got was in talks with the Los Angeles Lakers, who were looking to trade Russell Westbrook. However, Houston wanted draft compensation attached to Westbrook that Los Angeles was not willing to include.
As a result, John Wall remains a member of the Houston Rockets. But, as general manager Rafael Stone shared last month, they are still looking for a deal. He believes there is a market for Wall this offseason and a buyout will be discussed if that bridge has to be crossed.
“I think there is a real market for John,” general manager Rafael Stone said last month. “I think we will find a deal that will work for both him and us. If one doesn’t materialize, we will cross that bridge if one doesn’t occur. But that is something he is not focused on. And it is something I am not focused on at this time either.”
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A buyout is something that Wall had no interest in discussing last season, which made sense at the time. He has a player option for the 2021-22 season worth more than $47 million he wasn’t going to pass up on. But, his tune could change this offseason once he opts into the deal.
If John Wall works out a buyout, he can try and secure a deal that will pay him whatever the difference is. It is what Kemba Walker did last offseason when he worked out a buyout with the Oklahoma City Thunder and subsequently signed a deal with the New York Knicks.
Despite Wall sitting out a season when healthy, the relationship between him and the Houston Rockets remains a good one according to Stone.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Clippers, Heat ‘Strong Candidates’ To Sign John Wall If Buyout Occurs
“I love John — I say that every time because I do,” Stone said. “We will continue to work together as we have before. And I am very appreciative of him.”
Houston has shown that they will take care of their players in any way that they can. How they handled things with DeMarcus Cousins during the 2020-21 season is another example of them doing right by their players.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Clippers, Heat ‘Strong Candidates’ To Sign John Wall If Buyout Occurs
Hopefully, this offseason they can find a resolution with John Wall that will enable him to continue his career on the court. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft has been hit hard by injuries. He has missed two out of the last three seasons, playing 40 games during the 2020-21 campaign and only 73 during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons combined.
