John Wall’s wait to play NBA basketball finally ends as the former All-Star will join the Los Angeles Clippers after completing a buyout with the Houston Rockets.
John Wall finally got bought out by the Houston Rockets on Monday. Wall, owed $47.4 million, agreed to take $6.5 million less to complete the buyout and become a free agent. Wall is now expected to join one of the most stacked rosters in the NBA league, as he will join the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers also have an assortment of wing players as they look to win their first championship in franchise history. One position they somewhat lacked was a playmaking point guard, which they’ve solved by signing 31-year-old Wall.
Adrian Wojnarowski reported the buyout and the move to the LA Clippers. In his piece just after the news broke, Woj said, “After agreeing to a buyout with the Houston Rockets, guard John Wall plans to sign a free-agent deal with the LA Clippers, sources told ESPN on Monday. A source told ESPN that Wall, who was due $47.4 million from the Rockets after exercising the player option for the final year of his contract, agreed to take $6.5 million less to become a free agent.”
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“That is roughly the amount of the taxpayer mid-level exception, which Wall could receive once he can negotiate a deal with the Clippers. The Rockets wanted to agree with Wall before free agency begins Thursday to maximize his options in selecting his next team, sources said. Wall, who has career averages of 19.1 points and 9.1 assists, would fill the Clippers’ need for a playmaker on a team with championship aspirations, with Kawhi Leonard returning after missing the 2021-22 season while recovering from a partially torn ACL in his right knee. Reggie Jackson averaged 16.8 points and 4.8 assists as LA’s starting point guard last season when the Clippers went 42-40 and were eliminated in a play-in game,” concluded Wojnarowski.