John Wall was dealt to the Houston Rockets by the Los Angeles Clippers ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
In the beginning of the season there was some optimism that Wall would be able to provide L.A. with the perfect solution to their longtime point guard woes, but that didn’t end up being the case.
Now Wall is back with the Rockets, an organization he recently described as “trash.”
John Wall speaks on his time in Houston
(via @TidalLeague)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 18, 2023
“My first year in Houston, we were tanking,” Wall said during the Run Your Race podcast. “We were trying to lose on purpose. This is not how the NBA is. It’s a bad organization right now. They’ve got to fix some s***.”
Understandably, the Rockets don’t plan to incorporate the 32-year-old into their long-term plans.
“The Houston Rockets plan to waive John Wall,” Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported last week.
Once that split does occur, five teams have seemingly presented themselves as legitimate options for Wall at this juncture.
The first is Milwaukee Bucks.
According to NBA insider Evan Massey, the “Bucks are a team to watch for [a] John Wall once buyout is reached, barring another move for a guard.”
Wall has expressed interest in Milwaukee in the past, and he could prove to be prolific offensive option in short bursts off the bench for the Bucks.
The Chicago Bulls are another team to monitor. They obviously have been linked closely to a different guard, but Wall could prove to be a solid Plan B if that falls apart.
According to NBC Sports, Wall is one of three players the Bulls are exploring.
“If the Bulls don’t add [Russell] Westbrook, John Wall and Patrick Beverley are names to monitor,” the report read.
“A source told NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson that the Bulls have been in contact with representatives of both Wall and Beverley. The Bulls will need to waive a player to create a roster spot, and their current focus on point guards calls into question the future of Goran Dragić.”
Also, don’t sleep on the Los Angeles Lakers. Yes, Rob Pelinka and Co. just rejected a trade involving him not too long ago, but that had more to do with the other pieces involved than Wall himself.
Wall has expressed a lot of interest in joining the Lakers in the past, so this could be a marriage that works for all sides.
The Washington Wizards could also be an option. Wall has shown a desire in the past to return home at some point to the team that he became a star with. This could be the perfect opportunity.
Finally, the Miami Heat continue to be an option for Wall. Especially now that they are losing interest in Westbrook as a potential signing. Previously there was a blocker preventing this partnership from happening, but this is no longer the case.
The photos speak for themselves. https://t.co/hXzYPmx0fx
— Game 7 (@game7__) February 16, 2023
A few other dominos will likely drop before Wall gets picked up. Westbrook is one, obviously. But so is Kevin Love, who has three teams chasing him as well.
Once those guys are off the board, Wall will likely find a new home as well.
Where that home will be remains to be seen, though.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.