John Wall has only played 40 games of NBA basketball over the past three seasons, sitting out all of last year for the tanking Houston Rockets after they took Jalen Green second overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.
It’s not out of the question that Wall will once again spend the entirety of the 2022-23 season seated on the bench for Houston as the former All-Star has picked up his player option worth just over $47 million to remain with the Rockets as they continue their youth movement, but Shams Charania reports the team and Wall will work out a “resolution” on his future this summer.
Both sides are expected to work through a resolution on Wall’s tenure in the near future. https://t.co/fGf4ByrNlC
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 21, 2022
There was some buzz about Wall being swapped for Russell Westbrook (again) at the trade deadline, but with the Lakers unwilling to part with a future first round pick in the deal, that stalled out. That deal is still on the table for L.A., but all indications are they will be holding on to Westbrook and trying to run it back with better results under Darvin Ham, taking away one of the few potential trade partners for Wall.
Perhaps the Rockets will work out a buyout with the star before the season, or they can wait to see if a trade possibility will open up at the deadline to send Wall somewhere since he will finally be an expiring contract, as a hopeful contender might have a bloated contract of their own to send out in hopes that Wall, well rested, could provide a spark at the point guard spot. That feels like a long shot, but in the meantime Wall will ensure he gets paid handsomely for next season. How much of that is spent in Houston remains to be seen.