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. 

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It isn’t a secret that All-Star guard Russell Westbrook wants out of Houston Rockets. Numerous reports have indicated that Westbrook isn’t happy with the direction the organization is headed after parting ways with general manager Daryl Morey and head coach Mike D’Antoni and would like to continue his career elsewhere.

Several destinations for the 2017’s MVP have been mentioned in recent weeks, including LA Clippers and New York Knicks, but according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, an unexpected contender entered the Westbrook sweepstakes in the past couple of days.

Charania reported on Tuesday that Washington Wizards have shown interest in Westbrook and have already engaged in talks with the Rockets about a potential deal that would see John Wall head in the opposite direction. He also points out that the talks haven’t gained significant traction so far as Houston wants more assets included besides Wall. 

The assets that Rockets ask for are most likely draft picks as there is no need to include another player in the deal to have a salary match. Both Wall and Westbrook are on similar contracts, being scheduled to earn around $132 million in the next three years.

The deal would make sense for the Wizards as they are looking to build around All-Star Bradley Beal and get back to contention after a couple of rough years. While John Wall was once among the most electrifying players in the game, injuries have greatly diminished his impact in recent years. Washington now probably believes he won’t be able to return to being the player he once was.

Russell Westbrook, on the other hand, is still considered to be among the best players in his position despite his shortcomings in the shooting department. Pairing him with Beal and another talent like sharpshooter Davis Bertans would almost guarantee Wizards a playoff spot and probably even a chance to make a deep playoff run.

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Washington Wizards’ guard John Wall hasn’t played basketball since late 2018, but it appears that his return to court is getting near. Wall recently told the media that he feels healthy after previously undergoing two surgeries and is “itching” to play basketball again.

Wall initially had a surgery to address bone spurs in his left heel in December 2018, which ruled him out for the remainder of the 2018/19 season. Just as he was getting closer to recovering, the five-time All-Star tore his Achilles and had to undergo another surgery which meant he was set to miss the entire 2019/20.

However, according to Wall, the injury issues are now behind him.

“I’m 110%, I’m healthy,” Wall told reporters during a video call on Tuesday while adding that he is trying to get “in the best shape possible,” and he’s “itching to get back out there.”

Despite the fact that John Wall is feeling impatient about returning to basketball, there is little chance of him playing in 2019/20. Both Wall and the Wizards’ organization said on multiple occasions that they won’t take any risks and that he won’t return even if the current season resumes at a later point than expected.

Without Wall on the court, shooting guard Bradley Beal took over as Wizard’s leader and has excelled in the role averaging NBA’s second-best average of 30.5 points per game. Still, Beal’s excellence wasn’t enough for Washington to play a meaningful role in the East, as they are currently 24-40 and 5.5 games behind the playoff spot.

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Washington Wizards’ John Wall was already sidelined for the rest of 2018-19 NBA season due to a heel surgery, but his troubles didn’t stop here. Wizards announced on Tuesday that Wall now tore his Achilles tendon “after slipping and falling in his home.”

According to the team’s official statement, Wall will now have to undergo surgery to repair the Achilles tendon rupture with the exact date of the procedure still left to be determined. The 28-year-old “is expected to return to full basketball activity in approximately 12 months from the time of the surgery.”

After missing a total of 41 games last season due to a knee injury, John Wall managed to play only 32 games in 2018-19 before undergoing a procedure to remove bone spurs from his left heel in January. He decided to get the surgery in order to avoid more severe issues and was expected to return in six to eight months.

The Washington Post reports that Wall stumbled and fell in his home on 29th January, which led to Achilles tendon tear. This was, however, only discovered on Monday, when the player underwent a follow-up surgery to clean the infection on the site of the heel procedure.

John Wall averaged 20.7 points, 8.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in the season before he went down with the injury.

The post Wizards’ John Wall Tears His Achilles Tendon, Will Be out at Least 12 Months appeared first on SportzBonanza.

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. 

The post Rockets Trade Russell Westbrook to Wizards for John Wall appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It isn’t a secret that All-Star guard Russell Westbrook wants out of Houston Rockets. Numerous reports have indicated that Westbrook isn’t happy with the direction the organization is headed after parting ways with general manager Daryl Morey and head coach Mike D’Antoni and would like to continue his career elsewhere.

Several destinations for the 2017’s MVP have been mentioned in recent weeks, including LA Clippers and New York Knicks, but according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, an unexpected contender entered the Westbrook sweepstakes in the past couple of days.

Charania reported on Tuesday that Washington Wizards have shown interest in Westbrook and have already engaged in talks with the Rockets about a potential deal that would see John Wall head in the opposite direction. He also points out that the talks haven’t gained significant traction so far as Houston wants more assets included besides Wall. 

The assets that Rockets ask for are most likely draft picks as there is no need to include another player in the deal to have a salary match. Both Wall and Westbrook are on similar contracts, being scheduled to earn around $132 million in the next three years.

The deal would make sense for the Wizards as they are looking to build around All-Star Bradley Beal and get back to contention after a couple of rough years. While John Wall was once among the most electrifying players in the game, injuries have greatly diminished his impact in recent years. Washington now probably believes he won’t be able to return to being the player he once was.

Russell Westbrook, on the other hand, is still considered to be among the best players in his position despite his shortcomings in the shooting department. Pairing him with Beal and another talent like sharpshooter Davis Bertans would almost guarantee Wizards a playoff spot and probably even a chance to make a deep playoff run.

The post Rockets and Wizards Talk About Swapping Russell Westbrook and John Wall appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Washington Wizards’ guard John Wall hasn’t played basketball since late 2018, but it appears that his return to court is getting near. Wall recently told the media that he feels healthy after previously undergoing two surgeries and is “itching” to play basketball again.

Wall initially had a surgery to address bone spurs in his left heel in December 2018, which ruled him out for the remainder of the 2018/19 season. Just as he was getting closer to recovering, the five-time All-Star tore his Achilles and had to undergo another surgery which meant he was set to miss the entire 2019/20.

However, according to Wall, the injury issues are now behind him.

“I’m 110%, I’m healthy,” Wall told reporters during a video call on Tuesday while adding that he is trying to get “in the best shape possible,” and he’s “itching to get back out there.”

Despite the fact that John Wall is feeling impatient about returning to basketball, there is little chance of him playing in 2019/20. Both Wall and the Wizards’ organization said on multiple occasions that they won’t take any risks and that he won’t return even if the current season resumes at a later point than expected.

Without Wall on the court, shooting guard Bradley Beal took over as Wizard’s leader and has excelled in the role averaging NBA’s second-best average of 30.5 points per game. Still, Beal’s excellence wasn’t enough for Washington to play a meaningful role in the East, as they are currently 24-40 and 5.5 games behind the playoff spot.

The post Wizards’ John Wall Says He’s “Healthy” After Not Playing Since 2018 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Washington Wizards’ John Wall was already sidelined for the rest of 2018-19 NBA season due to a heel surgery, but his troubles didn’t stop here. Wizards announced on Tuesday that Wall now tore his Achilles tendon “after slipping and falling in his home.”

According to the team’s official statement, Wall will now have to undergo surgery to repair the Achilles tendon rupture with the exact date of the procedure still left to be determined. The 28-year-old “is expected to return to full basketball activity in approximately 12 months from the time of the surgery.”

After missing a total of 41 games last season due to a knee injury, John Wall managed to play only 32 games in 2018-19 before undergoing a procedure to remove bone spurs from his left heel in January. He decided to get the surgery in order to avoid more severe issues and was expected to return in six to eight months.

The Washington Post reports that Wall stumbled and fell in his home on 29th January, which led to Achilles tendon tear. This was, however, only discovered on Monday, when the player underwent a follow-up surgery to clean the infection on the site of the heel procedure.

John Wall averaged 20.7 points, 8.7 assists, and 3.6 rebounds in the season before he went down with the injury.

The post Wizards’ John Wall Tears His Achilles Tendon, Will Be out at Least 12 Months appeared first on SportzBonanza.