Report: John Wall wanted trade from Wizards to Rockets

Wall played in college with new Rockets center DeMarcus Cousins, and he appears to have a good relationship with James Harden.

In an offseason defined by trade requests from Houston’s All-Star backcourt, it seems at least one prior All-Star wanted the Rockets.

After 10 years as a respected leader in Washington, John Wall was reportedly in support of the blockbuster deal moving him to Houston.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:

The Wizards are sending Wall and a lottery-protected 2023 first-round NBA draft pick to the Rockets for Westbrook in a deal that both players wanted and had been simmering for weeks, sources said.

In Houston’s official press release announcing the trade, the team pointed out that Wall was teammates in college with new Rockets center DeMarcus Cousins. In the 2009-10 season at the University of Kentucky, the Wall- and Cousins-led Wildcats went 35-3.

Shortly after the trade announcement, Cousins tweeted a wink.

Wall also appears to have had a positive relationship over the years with Rockets star James Harden. In 2017, Wall traveled to Houston for Harden’s charity basketball game, and the All-Star guards played pickup matchups together earlier in the 2020 offseason in Miami.

Wall played nine seasons in Washington, averaging 19.0 points (43.3% FG) and 9.2 assists in 35.9 minutes per game. The No. 1 overall pick in the NBA’s 2010 draft, he’s been an All-Star five times in his career.

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