Tag: John Wall

Trade rumor rankings: Jaylen Brown, John Wall and more

HoopsHype ranks the five players who have appeared most in trade rumors over the past seven days, headlined by Jaylen Brown.

It’s time for another edition of our Trade Rumor Rankings series, where we take the five players who have appeared the most often on our Trade Rumors Page over the past week and rank them.

There are even two new inclusions on the list this week in Jaylen Brown and John Wall to spice things up a bit.

Without further ado, let’s get right into it.

Trade rumor rankings: Jaylen Brown, John Wall and more

It’s time for another edition of our Trade Rumor Rankings series, where we take the five players who have appeared the most often on our Trade Rumors Page over the past week and rank them.

There are even two new inclusions on the list this week in Jaylen Brown and John Wall to spice things up a bit.

Without further ado, let’s get right into it.

Rich Paul invokes John Wall, Rockets as template for Ben Simmons, 76ers

Rich Paul represents both John Wall and Ben Simmons, and he wants the 76ers to treat Simmons in a similar manner to Houston with Wall.

Powerful NBA agent Rich Paul seems to be on friendlier terms at the moment with current Rockets general manager Rafael Stone than he is with Daryl Morey, who previously held Stone’s position in Houston and now works as president of basketball operations in Philadelphia.

Among Paul’s many big-name clients are 76ers star Ben Simmons and Rockets star John Wall. In the case of Wall, the Rockets reached a mutual agreement with the five-time All-Star for him not to play in games this season while both parties explore trade options. The 31-year-old is still being paid his salary in full, without any objection by the team.

With Simmons, who wants a trade out of Philadelphia, the 76ers are reportedly planning to resume fining him for not participating in team activities. Morey has also publicly expressed a strong reluctance to the idea of trading Simmons unless the team receives back what it views as sufficient value for the three-time All-Star. By comparison, the Rockets are clearly much more open to trading Wall — it’s just a matter of waiting until another team is willing to accept the contract.

In a new interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Klutch Sports CEO drew a strong contrast between how the Rockets and Sixers have handled two of his marquee clients in recent months.

Paul drew a contrast between the situation with Simmons and that of Houston Rockets guard John Wall, another of his clients, who is being paid by Houston while sitting out the season, even though he is healthy enough to play.

“John is able to play, but Houston is OK using the (Collective Bargaining Agreement) to pay him not to play,” Paul said. “So which way is it? John is perfectly healthy and ready to play, and it’s OK in the CBA. We are being professional with both instances, but how can it go both ways? John and the Rockets have been professional about their situation, and we are also expecting the same with the 76ers.”

Ultimately, the story is about the ongoing conflict between the 76ers and Simmons. But it certainly can’t hurt Stone and the Rockets that the NBA’s most powerful agent is openly backing their approach, particularly when it comes to their reputation among other players and agents.

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Woj says John Wall is increasingly likely not to play in NBA this season

“It’s becoming increasingly likely that John Wall may not play anywhere in the NBA this season,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says.

In an ESPN appearance before Wednesday’s nationally televised game between the Rockets and Detroit Pistons, veteran NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski said it is becoming “increasingly likely” that Houston guard John Wall will not play in the league during the 2021-22 season.

While Wall is still being paid by Houston and is working in something of a sideline mentor capacity, he and the organization came to a mutual decision in September for him not to play in any games, since the rebuilding Rockets are prioritizing the development of younger players. However, based on the 31-year-old’s bloated contract — which could run for both this season and next — it’s not easy to trade him elsewhere.

Regarding Wall’s short-term future, Woj said:

There are no plans for John Wall to play for the Rockets. It’s becoming increasingly likely that John Wall may not play anywhere in the NBA this season.

The cost of his contract, right now, is just too prohibitive. He’s got a $44-milion deal this year, and a $47-million-dollar player option next year that any team that would potentially trade for him would want him to decline. Well, he’s not doing that. He’s not giving that money back.

The other route, to become a free agent, and eligible to sign somewhere else, is a contract buyout. John Wall has shown no interest in doing that this year, nor have the Rockets. So he sits for now, as the Rockets rebuild and play their young guys. John Wall may not play at all in the NBA this season.

In his only active season (2020-21) with the Rockets, Wall averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists in 32.2 minutes. Houston acquired the five-time All-Star and a future first-round draft pick via a December 2020 trade with Washington involving then-disgruntled star Russell Westbrook.

It’s not impossible that the dynamics could change as the 2021-22 season progresses. Perhaps the Rockets (1-10) revisit their decision to sit a healthy Wall if their struggles continue, or maybe an injury to a guard on a title contender leads to that team eventually changing its opinion and becoming more willing to accept Wall later in the season.

But as of now, the most likely option still appears to be Wall and the Rockets revisiting the landscape — both trade options and a contract buyout — in the 2022 offseason, when his deal has only one year left.

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Rockets rookie Jalen Green credits John Wall with helping his development

John Wall isn’t playing for Houston this season, but he is still under contract and is finding ways to help young players like Jalen Green.

Though he remains under contract with Houston, five-time All-Star John Wall is not playing for the Rockets this season as part of a mutually agreed-upon plan to prioritize the development of younger players.

One of those players, of course, is rookie guard Jalen Green — the No. 2 overall pick from the 2021 NBA draft. After Wednesday’s practice at Toyota Center, reporters captured video of Green and Wall playing against each other in a heated one-on-one battle, and the 19-year-old was asked in a subsequent interview about their relationship.

Here’s how Green responded:

Yeah, that’s like my big bro. He gives me a bunch of advice. We’re always talking on the court. When we’re at the crib, we watch film and stuff together. We break stuff down and watch games.

It’s good to have a big brother like that. He’s been in the league for so long that he has a lot of knowledge, on the court and off the court. It helps out a lot.

See below for extended videos of some of Green’s one-on-one battles with Wall following Wednesday afternoon’s practice.

Through his first four NBA games, Green is averaging 14.5 points (40.0% on 3-pointers), 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 32.5 minutes. Green and the Rockets (1-3) will return to action when the Utah Jazz (3-0) visit Toyota Center on Thursday, with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m. Central.

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Houston Rockets player salaries for 2021-22, future seasons

As Houston finalizes its roster for the 2021-22 regular season, here’s a rundown of what is on the salary books for this year and beyond.

Although the Houston Rockets are clearly rebuilding and in the early stages of a youth movement, they aren’t yet flush with cash.

For example, when the Rockets traded former MVP Russell Westbrook to Washington in December 2020, they took back another high-priced guard, John Wall. The Wizards had to send out a comparable annual salary figure to make the trade work under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and Houston received a future first-round pick for taking on a contract that was viewed as less desirable. Even though Wall is no longer playing for the Rockets due to a mutual agreement, his contract remains on the books entering the 2021-22 season, with both parties hopeful of a trade once he is owed less money.

Thus, even though the Rockets began their rebuild by trading Westbrook and James Harden, they don’t yet have a clean financial slate. They also have veterans Eric Gordon and Danuel House Jr. who are still under contracts that were signed in 2019 — when Harden was still in Houston, and a rebuild wasn’t yet being planned by the front office.

Then again, it’s not as if Houston desperately needed cap space in 2021, anyway. Even if the Rockets had the financial ability to sign top free agents during this past offseason, it seems doubtful that any elite veteran player would have wanted to sign with a team that just finished the 2020-21 season with the NBA’s worst record. In a year or two, though, the Rockets could be viewed as a team on the rise with a young core led by Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Christian Wood. In that context, Houston could quickly become a desirable destination for free agents.

That’s assuming they have the money, of course. Courtesy of the HoopsHype salary database, here’s a look at who second-year general manager Rafael Stone has on the books entering 2022 and beyond. This list is sorted by annual salary, ranging from the most to the least.

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Rockets’ Jalen Green shares some advice given to him by John Wall

Wall may not be playing with the Rockets but is still offering tips and pointers to his teammates.

John Wall may not be playing with the Houston Rockets to start this season but that doesn’t mean the five-time NBA All-Star isn’t passing along some of his wisdom to the younger players on the roster.

The Rockets and Wall agreed that he would not play to start the season, a move designed to allow the core players to see more minutes. In the meantime, the organization will try to find another home for him and the $91.7 million owed to him over the next two years.

Wall throughout training camp has been in the ear of several players, offering tips and pointers when necessary. Rockets rookie Jalen Green has been one of those players to check in with Wall from time to time for advice on the court.

Green shared some of that advice given to him by Wall.

John just gives me a lot of advice on the court because he sees a lot of himself in me but he says I can shoot better. He was just telling me what I need to do when I’m coming off a pick and roll or something like that. I come off a little too cool, too high so I can just come down faster and make my move earlier to make the person guess. John gives me a lot of advice and K.P. gives me a lot of advice, too.

Wall has often been commended for being a great teammate throughout his 10 years in the league. Based on the comments by Green, that has stuck with him in Houston as he instills some of his wisdom on those younger players around him.

Green projects to have a bright future in the league and he will likely always remember having Wall as a teammate, no matter how much longer he may be with the Rockets.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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VIDEOS: Houston Rockets interviews from 2021 media day

Houston’s interviews included Rafael Stone, Stephen Silas, Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Christian Wood and John Wall. Hear from them here.

For the first time in two years, the Rockets held a traditional in-person media day on Monday at The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston. The luxury retreat is owned by team owner Tilman Fertitta.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all media activities were virtual in the weeks leading up to the 2020-21 season. But that policy has changed for the 2021-22 campaign, and the Sept. 27 event was an opportunity for vaccinated media members to ask questions to veteran players like Christian Wood, Kevin Porter Jr., John Wall, Eric Gordon, Daniel Theis, Danuel House Jr., Jae’Sean Tate, and David Nwaba.

General manager Rafael Stone and head coach Stephen Silas also spoke on Monday, as did rookies Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun.

Scroll down for embedded videos of individual interview sessions, and check out the related links for more in-depth print coverage.

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Though not playing, John Wall to be with Rockets at all 2021-22 games

Five-time All-Star John Wall will still be actively involved with the Rockets and seated on the sidelines at all games, even on the road.

By a mutual agreement, five-time All-Star John Wall isn’t expected to play for the rebuilding Houston Rockets in the 2021-22 season. However, that doesn’t mean that he won’t make an impact.

Wall remains on Houston’s roster, and at Monday’s annual media day prior to the start of training camp, he and general manager Rafael Stone took the stage together to address his new situation.

While confirming the recent reports, both Wall and Stone said that he would actively be a member of the team and a presence on Houston’s sideline at practices and at games in the upcoming season.

“I’m still part of the team,” Wall said.

“He’s not like, a part,” Stone interjected. “He’s an important part. We’re leaning on John. John’s a rock. That’s my dude. We’re in it together.”

Wall said he did not have a list of preferred destinations, adding that his focus is on the Rockets and their developing young core.

“My job is to be a veteran presence for these guys, until something happens,” Wall said Monday. “Nobody knows when that will be. But my job is to mentor these guys as much as possible, keep myself in shape, and prepare myself for whenever I get the call, or if I do.”

Stone said he would not discuss any trade talks, but added that he believes Wall “would make every single team in the NBA better.”

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WATCH: Jaylen Brown playing 3-on-3 ball with Joe Johnson, John Wall, Ben Simmons

The Georgia native’s wrist is looking ready to go for the season.

Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jaylen Brown has been putting in some on-court work with a cadre of NBA household names this offseason, getting in some 3-on-3 basketball with Houston Rockets point guard John Wall, former Celtics draftee Joe Johnson and disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons.

Brown seems set for another leap forward in the coming season, showing off his handles and ability to get to the rack or launch a midrange dagger with apparent ease. While it might be a friendly gathering, it isn’t like it was among a bunch of scrubs from the men’s league he was playing against, either.

Such outings of course must be taken with a grain of salt given the context, but Brown looks healed from the late-season wrist surgery that ended his 2020-21 campaign early.

Watch the video embedded above courtesy of Swish Culture and get a look at his game for yourself.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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