John Wall’s struggling episode with the Houston Rockets has finally ended. The veteran guard managed to reach a buyout agreement with the franchise and will now join the Los Angeles Clippers as a free agent.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Wall opted to leave $6.5 million on the table to leave Houston. He was set to earn $47.4 million in salary in 2022-23.
Wall was expected to have multiple suitors in free agency, but the Clippers were his preferred choice from the very beginning. It is easy to understand his decision, as the LA gives him a clear path to competing for the NBA title. The 31-year-old will join forces with All-NBA players Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, immediately forming one of the scariest trios in the Western Conference.
At one point, John Wall was considered one of the best point guards in the league. Playing for the Washington Wizards, he received five All-Star nods between 2014 and 2018 and was selected to All-NBA Third Team in 2017. However, a heel injury during the 2018-19 season and subsequent ruptured Achilles significantly derailed his career.
While recovering, Wall was traded by the Wizards to the rebuilding Rockets. He managed to only play 40 games for Houston before the team shut him down to create playing time for their younger players. As a result, Raleigh, North Carolina, native didn’t play at all in 2021-22.
Wall’s career averages in NBA include 19.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
