Tag: John Wall

Report: Rockets willing to wait on John Wall trade until 2022 offseason

According to the Houston Chronicle, there are no buyout talks, and the Rockets are unlikely to move John Wall before the trade deadline.

Though the plan is now public knowledge, it appears that the formal parting of ways between the Houston Rockets and veteran guard John Wall might drag out until the NBA’s next offseason in mid-2022.

While Wall will report to training camp with the Rockets in late September and be available as a mentor to younger players, the five-time All-Star is not expected to play in any games. Moreover, it appears that the unique arrangement could last for the entire season, if needed.

Via Danielle Lerner and Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:

According to a person with knowledge of the situation, there are no talks of a buyout and the Rockets are unlikely to move Wall before the trade deadline barring an injury to a team that suddenly needs help at the guard spot. The Rockets are “leaning into the future,” the source said, and want to help Wall land at a desirable spot while remaining open to acquiring players that can help them win now.

The problem, of course, is the combination of Wall’s extensive injury history in recent years and his large contract, which calls for him to be paid more than $91 million over the next two seasons.

With two full years left, it appears that NBA teams see Wall as a negative value on his current contract. Yet, while the Rockets understandably want to give more minutes and touches to younger players, it doesn’t make sense for a rebuilding team to attach major draft assets to Wall to find a taker for him, since those picks are considered crucial to the rebuild. Even if trading Wall could create salary cap flexibility in 2022, that’s probably not that desirable to general manager Rafael Stone, since a rebuilding team isn’t likely to be all that attractive to veteran free agents.

Thus, the better scenario — and particularly if Wall is on board with the plan and willing to sit out for the sake of Houston’s rebuilding strategy, as he appears ready to do — is to simply delay a trade until NBA teams view Wall’s value more favorably. That could happen as soon as next February’s trade deadline, if another team needs to fill an injury hole and/or if rival owners become less reluctant to take on the 31-year-old’s salary, once a large chunk of his 2021-22 payments are completed. It’s also possible that the concerns over Wall’s injury history could go down, since teams wouldn’t need him to play a full season at that later date.

But if it takes waiting until Wall is in the last year of his contract for a trade to reasonably be made, it appears that Stone and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta are willing to do just that. Even if it means paying his full season salary of nearly $45 million to not play in any games.

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Kendrick Perkins believes Sixers should pursue Rockets guard John Wall

ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins believes the Philadelphia 76ers should acquire Houston Rockets guard John Wall.

The Philadelphia 76ers are still looking to make moves on their roster as they continue to figure out how to better position themselves for an NBA title. They have one of the dominant players in the league in Joel Embiid and they do not want to waste his prime right now.

The Sixers are still looking to move Ben Simmons as well as they look to honor his trade request. There is a lot on the plate of president Daryl Morey at the moment and he only has so much time to figure it all out.

As the trade market continues to work itself out, there is one big-name player who has suddenly become available: Houston Rockets guard John Wall. The Rockets and Wall have agreed that they want to find a trade for the 11-year veteran as they continue with their rebuilding phase.

With news of the trade coming out, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins believes the Sixers should inquire about the former All-Star guard:

Looking at John Wall, a guy who bounced back off an Achilles injury last year who averaged 20 and 7, who showed flashes of the old John Wall last season, I know he wouldn’t be down with the rebuilding stage so if I’m John Wall, I’m doing the same thing. I’m trying to go somewhere where I can win. Where I can at least have the chance to compete for the title. The problem is that he’s making a whole lot of lettuce, but there’s three teams that I think should really try to pursue John Wall, and that’s the 76ers, that’s the Clippers, and that’s the Pelicans.

Wall did have a productive season for Houston as he did, in fact, average 20.6 points and 6.9 assists, but he only shot 31.7% from deep on 6.2 attempts per game. That type of shooting will not work around Embiid as Philadelphia will need more sharpshooting surrounding the big fella in order for the offense to excel.

Another thing to consider is that Wall has played a combined 113 games over the past four seasons including missing the entirety of the 2019-20 season. It would be surprising to see the Sixers take a chance on Wall right now when considering they have championship aspirations. It would be tough to really rely on Wall right now at this moment.

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

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Why John Wall’s future might not find a resolution soon

A lack of trade suitors and a potentially massive buy-out requirement could keep John Wall in Houston until next season.

John Wall and the Houston Rockets have mutually agreed to work on a separation, according to Shams Charania. Wall will still remain with the team but won’t play in games in order to preserve his trade value. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Wall isn’t in Houston’s plans since they are in a full-scale rebuild. His services are best suited on a contender.

This decision will allow the Rockets to dedicate all their minutes to their young guards, a promising group which includes Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Both are now set to start at the guard positions with Wall out of the picture, which should also guarantee minutes to other young guards such as Josh Christopher and Anthony Lamb.

Although both sides are in agreement that a separation is for the best, one might not come anytime soon. The lack of trade suitors for Wall, as well as a potentially punitive buy-out amount, could keep him shelved in Houston throughout the 2021-22 season.

Report: Rockets won’t include first-round draft pick to trade John Wall

Per Tim MacMahon, Houston does not want to include a first-round draft pick to trade John Wall, and buyout talks are not viable this season.

Though the Rockets and veteran point guard John Wall agreed to part ways, it doesn’t appear that a resolution will come soon. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Houston general manager Rafael Stone is not currently willing to include a first-round draft pick to facilitate a move.

“Sources said the Rockets do not want to give up first-round draft compensation in a Wall trade and would not have interest in discussing a buyout until possibly after free agency next summer,” says MacMahon, who confirmed that Houston’s decision not to play Wall in the 2021-22 season is built in large part on a desire to have young prospects Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green as the team’s starting backcourt.

“Team management and Wall mutually decided that a bench role for him wouldn’t be beneficial to either party,” reports MacMahon. Confirming other reports, MacMahon says Wall is expected to report to training camp with the Rockets in late September and remain around the team.

“The hope is that his wisdom and leadership can still help Porter, Green, and other young players,” MacMahon tweeted.

Given Wall’s extensive injury history in recent years and a large contract that has him poised to make over $91 million over the next two seasons, a trade isn’t easy at this time — unless the Rockets are willing to include future first-round draft assets as sweetener to offset those concerns. However, considering Houston’s rebuilding status after trading James Harden, it wouldn’t make sense for Stone to surrender any of his prized draft assets if the only upside is salary cap flexibility.

After all, even if the Rockets could create cap room in the 2022 offseason (a year prior to Wall’s contract expiration date in 2023), they aren’t likely to be an attractive destination to veteran free agents at that time.

Thus, even though Wall isn’t viewed as a good fit for Houston’s current roster, the Rockets are attempting to stall trade talks until Wall is owed less money and is viewed as less of a negative asset. Fortunately for the team, it appears Wall is on board with that strategy, as well.

One reason for that could be Wall’s trust that Stone and the organization will work with him on a satisfactory outcome. MacMahon writes:

Rockets sources emphasized that the franchise makes it a priority to try to “do right” by veterans who seek to play for more competitive situations, citing trading Harden and forward PJ Tucker to contenders last season as primary examples.

It appears that Wall’s affinity for the organization is matched by the Rockets, with MacMahon reporting that the team greatly appreciates Wall’s positive leadership since his Houston arrival in December 2020.

So until the market is right, it appears that Wall and the Rockets are prepared to wait it out — even if it takes considerable time.

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Why John Wall and the Rockets want to part ways, and what comes next

Why do the Rockets want to part ways with John Wall, a five-time NBA All-Star? Here’s a look at the potential reasoning by Rafael Stone.

Coming off a year with the NBA’s worst record and a draft class featuring four first-round rookies, many wondered how five-time All-Star John Wall would fit with the suddenly rebuilding Houston Rockets.

It now appears that we have our answer. As first reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic and confirmed by many reporters elsewhere, the Rockets and Wall have agreed to part ways while working on a future trade. As part of this plan, Wall will attend training camp with the Rockets when it begins in late September but isn’t expected to play in games.

“The Rockets explained that the team does not want to jeopardize Wall’s fitness, and the sides agreed on the route that won’t complicate his ability to continue playing at a high level,” Charania writes.

Per Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston, the 31-year-old did not ask to be traded. “According to sources, the five-time All-Star simply isn’t part of the Rockets’ long-term plans,” Berman tweeted of Wall, who averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists with Houston last season.

With Wall not playing, the Rockets are likely to give more in-game minutes and touches to younger players who are seen as having more growth potential and being a better fit with the team’s rebuilding timeline.

Berman notes that the Rockets and Wall are “mutually working together” to find him a better fit, and the fact that Wall is willing to attend camp and help guide Houston’s youthful roster under these circumstances would seem to suggest that Wall is understanding of the decision.

From the perspective of Wall, now in his second decade in the NBA, the hope is that he eventually finds a suitor that allows him to contribute to a title push sooner than the current timeline in Houston. By the time that the Rockets are ready to contend again, it’s quite possible that Wall’s peak NBA years could be behind him, which made it an awkward fit.

According to Charania, there are no buyout plans on the two years and $91.7 million remaining on Wall’s contract with the Rockets — including a $47.4-million player option for the 2022-23 season. As a result, it appears that the formal parting of ways is likely to come via trade. There are several reasons that this path makes more sense.

While a buyout would immediately cut ties between Wall and the Rockets and make him immediately eligible to find a new team, it would still keep most of his lofty salary cap figure on Houston’s books, since he isn’t likely to receive nearly as much on a new contract. By contrast, should the Rockets trade Wall, the team acquiring him would take on the remainder of his current contract. A buyout would also take away any chance of a positive trade return for the Rockets down the line.

As a result, it appears that the Rockets are waiting for a better time to execute a trade, and they don’t want to take the risk of an injury derailing that. Wall missed most of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons due to a torn Achilles, and he did not play in 32 of Houston’s 72 games in 2020-21.

By waiting until closer to the 2021-22 trade deadline in February 2022, the Rockets will have paid off a sizable portion of Wall’s salary for the upcoming season, which could make it more palatable to any interested team. In effect, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta will pay Wall to not play, in hopes that the stall tactic could boost his future trade value.

Moreover, in addition to reducing the cash payments owed to Wall by the ownership of his new team, the delay could make any general manager acquiring Wall more willing to accept the risk factors. If a team traded for Wall prior to this season, the size of his contract and the two seasons left on it could make it difficult to re-route him at the trade deadline, should the experiment fail. Other general managers might also be reluctant to take the gamble on Wall staying healthy for a full regular season and playoff run, given his recent health issues.

On the other hand, if Wall is acquired during the season as part of a playoff push, the next time he would be eligible to be traded would be during the 2022 offseason — and at that time, he would be in the final year of his contract. Generally speaking, “expiring” players are much easier to move due to the lack of a long-term commitment. As for the upcoming 2021-22 season, Wall’s health concerns could be reduced if the acquiring team isn’t asking him to play a full season.

From Houston’s perspective, Wall was never viewed as a long-term fit. Essentially, the December 2020 trade that brought Wall to the Rockets in exchange for Russell Westbrook was executed because the players had nearly identical contracts, but the Wizards were willing to attach a first-round pick to Wall for a perceived upgrade. At that time, Houston general manager Rafael Stone knew that a rebuild was inevitable due to the trade demand by James Harden, so the fact that Westbrook appeared to be a better player was not weighted as heavily in the team’s thinking. Moreover, due to Westbrook’s contract also being viewed by NBA teams as an overpay, it wasn’t as if Stone had many alternative trade options.

In effect, Houston chose Wall’s contract over that of Westbrook because accepting Wall meant receiving an extra first-round draft pick. In July 2021, that draft pick from Washington became a key part of the trade that brought promising rookie center Alperen Sengun to the Rockets.

Going forward, parting ways with Wall allows promising third-year guard Kevin Porter Jr. to become the team’s full-time point guard, which he has made clear that he wants to be. With that configuration, Wall’s exit from the lineup clears the way for Houston to start Porter Jr. alongside prized rookie Jalen Green, who was recently drafted at No. 2 overall.

Ever since that July 2021 draft, Porter Jr. and Green have widely been viewed as Houston’s backcourt of the future. Thanks to Tuesday’s bombshell news, they’re suddenly the backcourt of the present, as well.

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Complete Houston Rockets ratings list for NBA 2K22 video game

At 83 overall, John Wall and Christian Wood are tied for the No. 49 rating among NBA players. Here’s how the full Houston roster stacks up.

Friday’s official release of the NBA 2K22 video game also involved the annual release of NBA 2K’s ratings for all players across the league. To determine virtual skills, players are rated on a 1-to-100 scale in numerous categories, including a frequently disputed overall rating.

Courtesy of HoopsHype, we also know how each player stacks up compared to others around the league. For example, the two highest-rated players on the 2021-22 Houston Rockets roster — point guard John Wall and center Christian Wood — each have an 83 overall rating. That’s tied for No. 49 overall and matches players such as Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, Jaren Jackson, and Gordon Hayward.

From best to worst, here’s the initial ratings list for the Rockets:

  • John Wall, 83
  • Christian Wood, 83
  • Jalen Green, 79
  • Eric Gordon, 78
  • Jae’Sean Tate, 77
  • Kevin Porter Jr., 77
  • KJ Martin, 76
  • Daniel Theis, 76
  • David Nwaba, 76
  • DJ Augustin, 73
  • Alperen Sengun, 73
  • Danuel House Jr., 72
  • Usman Garuba, 72
  • Tyler Bey, 70
  • Josh Christopher, 70
  • Khyri Thomas, 69
  • Armoni Brooks, 69
  • Anthony Lamb, 68

Porter Jr. has already made it clear that he strongly disagrees with his 77 rating, noting he believes he should be in the 80s and ahead of rookies (including Green) who have yet to play in the NBA.

Depending on results in the upcoming 2021-22 season, these roster ratings could be adjusted in later NBA 2K updates.

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John Wall, Christian Wood, Jalen Green lead Rockets’ ratings in NBA 2K22

John Wall, Christian Wood, and rookie Jalen Green have the three highest ratings among Rockets in the upcoming NBA 2K22 video game.

Point guard John Wall and center Christian Wood are expected to be the best players for the Houston Rockets in the 2021-22 NBA season, according to developers of the popular NBA 2K video game franchise. Players across the league are rated on a 1-to-100 scale in numerous categories, including a frequently disputed overall rating.

The game won’t officially be available until later this week on Friday, Sept. 10. However, that hasn’t stopped a handful of leaks across social media from users with early access. Here’s how Houston’s top nine players are ranked by overall rating, according to the NBA 2K22 team:

  • John Wall, 83
  • Christian Wood, 83
  • Jalen Green, 79
  • Eric Gordon, 78
  • Jae’Sean Tate, 77
  • Kevin Porter Jr., 77
  • KJ Martin, 76
  • Daniel Theis, 76
  • David Nwaba, 76

Wall is a five-time NBA All-Star over his distinguished career, while Wood was on track for a potential All-Star berth last season before his breakthrough year was derailed by an ill-timed ankle injury.

As for the others, Porter Jr. has already made it clear that he disagrees with his 77 rating, noting that he believes he should be in the 80s and ahead of rookies (such as Green) who have yet to play in the NBA.

Presumably, the remaining three members of Houston’s highly touted rookie class (Alperen Sengun, Josh Christopher, and Usman Garuba) will be rated lower than Porter Jr. and the other eight players on this leaked list. Each of those other three rookies was drafted much lower in the 2021 first round than Green, who was taken at No. 2 overall. That helps explain his lofty rating, even with an obvious lack of NBA experience.

The initial ratings list for the remainder of Houston’s 2021-22 roster should be made available when the game officially drops on Friday.

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Player salaries for the Houston Rockets in 2021-22, future seasons

Who do the Rockets have on their salary books for 2021-22 and beyond? Here’s a look at Houston’s financial status entering the new season.

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 in John Wall. The Wizards needed to send out a comparable annual salary figure to make the trade work under the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and the Rockets received a future first-round pick for taking on a contract that was viewed at the time as less desirable.

Thus, even though the Rockets began their rebuild by trading stars such as Westbrook and James Harden, they don’t yet have a clean financial slate. They also have veterans like 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.

It’s not as if Houston desperately wanted 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 the likes of 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.

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(Editor’s note: This list is sorted from most to least by annual salaries for the 2021-22 season. It does not yet include Armoni Brooks, who is on an Exhibit 10 contract heading into training camp.)

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon expects Rockets to eventually trade Eric Gordon

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon expects Eric Gordon to eventually be dealt by the Rockets, but he doesn’t see a market at this time for John Wall.

With four recent first-round draft picks headlined by No. 2 overall selection Jalen Green, the Houston Rockets are clearly in the early stages of a rebuilding movement. Yet, they still have two accomplished and highly paid veteran guards on the roster in John Wall and Eric Gordon.

As ESPN’s Tim MacMahon sees it, that could become a conundrum for the Rockets and second-year head coach Stephen Silas. While Houston clearly wants to prioritize the development of younger players, Wall and Gordon are simply too good not to play, and it remains to be seen whether there are enough touches and shot attempts to go around for both the veteran duo and young guards such as Kevin Porter Jr. and Green.

“To me, one of the biggest challenges for the Rockets is how you deal with John Wall and Eric Gordon,” MacMahon said on a new episode of the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast. As part of a betting segment, MacMahon was stating his case for Houston going “under” their projected win/loss total of 25.5 for the 2021-22 NBA season.

“I do think the Rockets will be a fun young team, but fun young teams end up around 23, 24 wins,” MacMahon said.

Of the two veteran guards, MacMahon sees Gordon — who is owed $37.8 million over the next two seasons — as much more likely to be moved by the Rockets at some point during the upcoming season. With Wall, who is due $91.7 million, the logistics are far more complicated.

The last year [of Gordon’s deal], there’s no guaranteed money. I think Gordon is getting traded at some point. But John Wall, every minute that he plays… you’re wasting time.

The final season of Gordon’s current contract (2023-24) is for $20.9 million, but it is only guaranteed if he makes an All-Star team, or if his franchise wins the NBA championship during the next two seasons. The first is extremely unlikely, to say the least, and the second would likely be seen as a “good problem,” considering the influx of cash associated with winning the title. As such, Gordon’s contract on a two-year basis isn’t likely to be viewed by other franchises as especially prohibitive.

The massive figure owed to Wall, however, is a different story. When asked about the potential of a contract buyout by the Rockets to allow the five-time All-Star to hit free agency early, MacMahon said:

The problem is, it’s $92 million. It’s two years at the super-max.

Besides having a cheaper salary, Gordon also brings a skillset in the form of 3-point shooting and defense that can easily fit on most teams. Wall, on the other hand, is a traditional point guard and floor general who may not fit as well on teams who already have a primary ball handler in place. Between that factor, a long injury history, and his extremely high salary, it’s unclear what the market for Wall would be at this time.

Along those same lines, it could also be argued that Wall’s ball-dominant style might be difficult to mesh with Porter Jr., who sees himself as the point guard of the future with the Rockets. Yet, the financial realities may leave Silas and general manager Rafael Stone without any choice but to try and make it work for the time being.

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Which NBA players committed the most technical fouls last season?

Technical fouls are a part of basketball at every level, but when called in the NBA, they also come with significant fiscal consequences.

Technical fouls are a part of basketball at every level, but when called in the NBA, they also come with significant fiscal consequences.

Technicals can be issued for a myriad of reasons during the course of a game. This includes “non-unsportsmanlike” reasons such as excessive timeouts, delay of game, incorrect number of players on the floor or hanging on the basket and/or rim.

However, more detrimental are unsportsmanlike whistles for conduct such as disrespectfully addressing an official, physically contacting an official, overt actions indicating resentment of a call or non-call, use of profanity, taunting or deliberately throwing elbows at an opponent.

While the players we’ll discuss in the list are the modern leaders of getting T’d up, no one comes remotely close to what Rasheed Wallace accomplished during the 2000-01 campaign. Wallace was called for 41 technical fouls that season, which forced the league the eventually change the rules.

Nowadays, players are automatically suspended once they reach sixteen technical fouls in a single season — as Dwight Howard was this past season. Players then receive another automatic suspension with each passing two technical fouls they are called for (e.g. technical fouls No. 18, No. 20, etc.) subsequently.

Even though none of these players come close to matching the prolific rate Wallace once had, the following players are the ones who best embody his spirit:

(Data via Spotrac and Stats Perform)