NBA: LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Miami Heat interested in John Wall after buyout
According to reliable NBA Insider Marc Stein, a successful buyout of John Wall’s contract is a viable option, and the LA Lakers, LA Clippers, and Miami Heat would be lining up to sign the point guard.
FollowAccording to NBA Insider Marc Stein, the possibility of a John Wall buyout may finally turn into reality. Wall is now on an expiring contract having picked up his player option for the NBA 2022-23 season. The Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, and Miami Heat want to add Wall to their rotation as a free agent, who last played an NBA game on 23rd April 2021.
Regarding Wall’s buyout situation and potential interest, Marc Stein reported, “This week marked the first time in some time that I heard serious murmurs about Wall successfully negotiating a buyout with the Rockets after his season on the sidelines — provided Houston remains unable to find a trade partner on a Wall deal.”
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“It is still unclear, with Wall presumed to be essentially untradeable when he’s due $47.4 million next season, how much of that salary he would have to surrender in buyout talks to convince the Rockets to let him become a free agent. The latest Wall-related scuttle does, however, suggest that a pathway for the sides to get there is at last materializing,” added Stein.
“Interest in Wall from the Clippers and Heat, if he can finally make his way onto the open market, has been mentioned for months. I’ve likewise been advised that the Lakers — resistant as they remain to trade Russell Westbrook to Houston for Wall by attaching draft capital as a sweetener for the Rockets — would consider Wall a candidate for the roster if he is suddenly available; via the buyout market,” Stein continued.
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According to reliable NBA Insider Shams Charania, Houston Rockets guard John Wall has picked up his $47.4 million player option. The Rockets, who paid Wall over $40 million while not playing him in a single minute, are expected to look for trade partners or a buyout for the former all-star guard.
Wall was drafted by the Washington Wizards in 2010 and led the franchise back to relevance with multiple Playoffs appearances as it became a multi-time all-star, all-NBA, and all-defensive selection. After the 2016-17 NBA season, where Wall played his best basketball and led the team to within a Conference game, the Wizards offered Wall one of the biggest deals in the entire league: A Supermax contract.
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The contract would kick in 2019 and offer Wall up to $170 million. Unfortunately, Wall didn’t play a single game for the Wizards until the agreement kicked in, as he suffered an injury that kept him out for almost two seasons. Realizing Wall was one of the most overpaid and untradable contracts, the Wizards moved Wall (a first-round pick) to Houston for Russell Westbrook.
John Wall would play again, but he was nowhere near the player he once was. As the Rockets started to enter a rebuild, it was clear that John Wall wouldn’t be part of their plans. In most scenarios, this would lead to a trade. However, Wall’s contract had become so untradable that the franchise couldn’t find a trade partner. As a result, Wall had to sit out the entire 2021-22 season while the Rockets developed their young guards.
