Tag: John Wall

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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After Westbrook trade, Rockets still have no plans to move Harden

Despite dealing Westbrook, Houston “does not envision a scenario where Harden would be traded before the opener,” per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.

Despite fulfilling the trade request of co-star Russell Westbrook with a deal sending him to Washington, the Houston Rockets are not anticipating giving James Harden his desired trade to Brooklyn.

After Wednesday night’s blockbuster, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon wrote:

Rockets source: Stance on James Harden has not changed. Houston hopes to be competitive with him this season and does not envision a scenario where Harden would be traded before the opener.

Houston understood that the demand for Russell Westbrook was limited and was willing to settle for the protected first-round pick along with John Wall. The Rockets want a king’s ransom (young franchise cornerstone plus Jrue [Holiday]-esque picks package) in any potential Harden deal.

Assuming new trade acquisition John Wall is healthy, Houston should still have a capable squad in 2020-21 with Harden, Wall, Christian Wood, DeMarcus Cousins, and most of the supporting cast of a group that finished No. 4 in the Western Conference a season ago.

With Harden under contract for at least two more seasons, there’s no reason for the Rockets to make a hasty decision on his future. It seems as if the plan is to see how the new-look group plays on the court, and if things don’t go as desired, a potential Harden transaction could be revisited at the 2021 trade deadline or in the following offseason.

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Report: Rockets PG Russell Westbrook traded for Wizards PG John Wall

Former Thunder guard Russell Westbrook is on the move again. He has reportedly been traded from the Rockets to the Wizards for John Wall.

Former Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook is on the move for the second offseason in row.

On Wednesday, Westbrook was traded from the Houston Rockets to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster that includes fellow star guard John Wall, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Over Westbrook’s single season in Houston, the All-Star averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. However, he only shot 25.8% from 3 and stylistically did not fit next to James Harden, another ball-dominant guard who operates best with shooters around him.

This offseason has been riddled with rumors that Westbrook requested a trade from Houston. On Wednesday, reports confirmed the Rockets have agreed to move him.

In return for the star, the Rockets get Wall, who missed all of last season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. At his peak he was one of the best point guards in the league, and the Rockets hope his talent and speed remains and he can fit next to Harden on offense better than Westbrook.

Houston also reportedly gets a first-round pick from the Wizards.

In this deal, Houston recuperates a much-needed draft pick after trading two and giving up the rights to two more to get Westbrook to even begin with.

The Rockets acquired Westbrook last offseason from the Thunder. Oklahoma City received Chris Paul, two first-round picks and two pick swaps in that deal.

The Thunder made the playoffs with Paul and traded him to the Phoenix Suns this offseason.

John Wall goes to Houston in exchange for Russell Westbrook

Washington Wizards star John Wall will team up with the best scorer in the Western Conference, Houston’s James Harden.

Houston Rockets boss Rafael Stone is making sure he puts down every possible weight to keep James Harden in H-Town and in the process he has brought home one of the NBA’s most feared open-court forces when he’s healthy, John Wall, to aide in keeping Harden in Houston.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Wall and a first-round pick will go to the Rockets in exchange for the 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook. Wall hasn’t played in the NBA in over two seasons and while he is the fastest player in the league while he is able to let the horses ride, he still has some of the best vision the game has ever seen, especially when combined with his vision at a fast speed.

While many were waiting for John Wall to rejoin Bradley Beal, Wall joining Harden as his latest co-star may be the best chance the Rockets have of keeping an agitating yet important force in the backcourt next to the indomitable beard.

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NBA fans react to the Rockets trading Russell Westbrook to the Wizards for John Wall

Wow.

Last month Russell Westbrook asked the Houston Rockets to trade him. On Wednesday night, he got the news that they had done just that.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Rockets have traded Westbrook to the Washington Wizards in return for John Wall and a 2023 protected first-round pick.

Wow.

Westbrook spent just one season in Houston after being traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder, where spent the first 10 years of his career.

Wall, meanwhile, missed all of last season and hasn’t played in a game since he tore his Achilles in December of 2018.

Here’s Woj breaking down the trade news:

Twitter had plenty of reactions to this trade:

 

Rockets trade Russell Westbrook to Wizards for John Wall, draft pick

In exchange for the former MVP, the Rockets are acquiring Wall and a protected first-round pick in the NBA’s 2023 draft.

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The Houston Rockets are trading All-Star guard Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards for John Wall and a future first-round pick, as first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Westbrook had requested a trade out of Houston earlier this offseason, according to multiple media reports.

Now 30 years old, the 6-foot-4 Wall hasn’t played in the NBA since tearing his Achilles in early 2019, which is why Houston is getting both Wall and a draft selection in exchange for Westbrook. The pick is a protected choice in the 2023 first round, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Wall has 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.

Wall has connections to the current Rockets from playing with new center DeMarcus Cousins at the University of Kentucky, and he’s also believed to have a positive relationship with James Harden. For his part, Wall has said that he’s now healthy and ready to go for the 2020-21 season.

Wall has nearly an identical contract to Westbrook, with each guard signed for the next two seasons and with a massive player option ($47+ million) for a third season in 2022-23. In addition to leadership qualities, both floor generals are very well regarded around the league for their elite speed, athleticism, and transition play. Westbrook is seen by most as slightly more explosive, while Wall has more range as a shooter.

Besides granting Westbrook’s recent trade request, the potential upside for the Rockets is that Wall is nearly two years younger, and with significantly less mileage in terms of career games played. He’s also shot better than 30% on 3-pointers in each of his last six seasons, whereas Westbrook hasn’t exceeded 30% on treys since his 2016-17 MVP season.

However, there’s also more risk for Houston, since Wall is coming off an Achilles injury and hasn’t proven his form since then. Thus, the Rockets are the team getting additional draft compensation in the swap.

Over 12 NBA seasons, Westbrook has averaged 23.2 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.1 rebounds in 34.6 minutes per game. A former league MVP, Westbrook averaged 27.2 points (47.2% FG), 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists last season in what will go down as his only year in Houston.

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6 things the Wizards can do to get themselves out of this mess

#SoWizards

Don’t look now, y’all, but the Washington Wizards are in shambles. Absolute shambles.

Unfortunately, for Wizards fans like myself, this is what we’re used to. Y’all are new to this, but we are true to this. We were born into chaos, fam. We know what this is and we know how it ends.

Think about it. In the early 90’s, we somehow steal Chris freaking Webber from the Warriors only for them to trade him as he heads into the prime of his career. Late 90’s? The Jordan era. He broke Kwame Brown. 2000’s? Gilbert Arenas. It’s all stupid.

But that’s what being a Wizards fan is. Stupid. Yet, still. Here we stand in this latest chapter where John Wall, the team’s darling and most loyal player in decades, has reportedly requested a trade. But…then GM, Tommy Sheppard, says he didn’t.

So, now we’re all confused. And this is just one big mess. Here’s how the Wizards can fix it.

NBA Free Agency 2020: The biggest winners and losers of free agency so far

No, it’s not too early for this.

Yes, NBA free agency just started on Friday night. No, it has not even been a full 24 hours quite yet. Yes, it’s probably too early to judge what teams are doing right now when there are still deals being made.

But guess what? We’re about to do exactly that.

This is a way-too-early breakdown of the winners and losers of the NBA’s free agency period so far. There’s still plenty of time and still plenty of players out there looking for new homes, but things have been intense.

Some teams have made moves for the better, some for the worse and some just not at all. Here’s your quick look at who did what.

Five reasons the Wizards should say no to trading John Wall for Russell Westbrook

Please, just no.

Alright, let’s do this. Full disclosure here: Regrettably, I am a Wizards fan. I have spent 27 years of my life rooting for this mostly terrible franchise and have enjoyed every moment of it.

So when the Wizards found themselves at the center of the NBA’s rumor mill, everything froze for a second.

The Wizards and Rockets have reportedly discussed trading John Wall for Russell Westbrook, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

Talks between the two sides have stalled because the Rockets are looking for more assets in the deal, but nonetheless, the call has been made. This is still a possibility.

 

Dollar for dollar, their contracts are pretty much the same.  A straight swap works here.

And, look, let’s be honest. Wall is coming off of a season lost to a torn Achilles. Westbrook just finished another All-NBA season. So, on the surface, this looks like a no-brainer for the Wizards.

But it’s not. They absolutely should not, under any circumstance, do this. Ever. There are a billion reasons why. I got four right here.

Shams: Rockets, Wizards discussed Russell Westbrook, John Wall trade

The Rockets and Wizards have discussed a trade involving former All-Star point guards Russell Westbrook and John Wall, per Shams Charania.

The Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards have discussed a trade involving former All-Star point guards Russell Westbrook and John Wall, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

However, Charania says there is “no traction yet” since the Rockets are seeking more assets. Now 30 years old, the 6-foot-4 Wall hasn’t played in the NBA since tearing his Achilles in early 2019.

Wall has 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, Wall has been an All-Star five times.

Wall has nearly an identical contract to Westbrook, with each guard signed for the next two seasons and with a massive player option ($47+ million) for a third season in 2022-23. In addition to leadership qualities, both floor generals are very well regarded around the league for their elite speed, athleticism, and transition play. Westbrook is seen by most as slightly more explosive, while Wall has more range as a shooter.

Besides granting Westbrook’s recent trade request, the potential upside for the Rockets is that Wall is nearly two years younger, and with significantly less mileage in terms of career games played. He’s also shot better than 30% on 3-pointers in each of his last six seasons, whereas Westbrook hasn’t exceeded 30% on treys since his 2016-17 MVP season.

However, there’s also more risk for Houston, since Wall is coming off an Achilles injury and hasn’t proven his form since then. Thus, the Rockets are believed to be wanting more assets to take Wall, per Charania.

Over 12 NBA seasons, Westbrook has averaged 23.2 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.1 rebounds in 34.6 minutes per game.

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