The Houston Rockets have reportedly been looking to find a new home for Russell Westbrook ever since he expressed his desire for a move. The issue is that Westbrook makes a ton of money, and even before you get to the fact that he’s getting older, finding a new home for him is tough financially.
Teams like the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks have been mentioned as potential destinations, but on Tuesday evening, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Washington Wizards could enter the fray. Charania brought word of conversations between Houston and Washington about a potential deal that could see Westbrook flipped for another point guard on a gigantic contract, John Wall.
The Rockets and Wizards have discussed a deal centered on Russell Westbrook for John Wall, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. No traction yet, Rockets are seeking more assets.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 17, 2020
Mentioning that the Rockets want more makes sense — trading Westbrook and, potentially, James Harden would signal that the team is on its way to a big rebuild, and getting Wall back does not help in that regard, even beyond the fact that he’s a massively unknown commodity right now due to the fact he hasn’t played since 2018 as he’s battled injuries. Washington could, theoretically, throw in young players like Troy Brown and Rui Hachimura if they really want this to happen, and if they would be willing to move on from their current pick, the team is slated to select ninth in Wednesday’s NBA Draft.