Rockets Trade Russell Westbrook to Wizards for John Wall

Russell Westbrook at the ESPY Awards in 2017
Russell Westbrook at the ESPY Awards in 2017. Photo by Stewart Cook/REX/Shutterstock (8957355es)

The Houston Rockets have granted All-Star guard Russell Westbrook his wish to leave the organization. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Rockets traded Westbrook to the Washington Wizards in exchange for guard John Wall and a protected first-round pick.

The move comes just days after Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard told the media that the franchise doesn’t intend to trade Wall.

Wojnarowski added that the pick included in the trade has several protections through 2026, and if it doesn’t convey, the Rockets are set to receive a second-rounder in 2026 and 2027.

While the Westbrook-Wall swap might come surprising to some, the trade wasn’t entirely unexpected. The Wizards and Rockets engaged in talks several weeks ago, when it became clear that Westbrook wanted out but couldn’t come to an agreement at the time.

Reportedly, Sheppard and Rockets’ GM Rafael Stone resumed negotiations on Tuesday, and this time it was a lot more straightforward talk that concluded on a positive note.

Westbrook joined the Rockets before the 2019-20 season, teaming up with his former OKC Thunder teammate James Harden. However, his time in Houston was marked with injury struggles and the team’s inability to make an impact in the offseason.

Westbrook reportedly didn’t enjoy his time with the organization at all and concluded that he would have been better off elsewhere. He averaged 27.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game in the regular season but only managed 17.9 points and 4.6 assists in the playoffs.

In Washington, Westbrook will team up with All-Star guard Bradley Beal, while also having his former Thunder coach Scott Brooks on board.

For John Wall, the move to the Rockets represents a chance for a fresh start after two years of injury struggles. Wall played his last game in late 2018 and failed to return to the court since, having dealt with a heal injury and a ruptured Achilles tendon.

The deal might end up working for both the Wizards and Rockets. The Wizards now have a team that can contend in the Eastern Conference, and bringing in Westbrook might convince Beal to commit his future to the franchise.

Rockets, on the other hand, get a player who wants to play in Houston, and this could help them in the long-term if he leaves the injury issues behind. 

Jasmin can write about almost everything expect about himself. All you need to know is that he likes music, Nutella stuffed pancakes and sleeping till noon on Sundays.