After Kemba Walker left the NBA to play with AS Monaco in EuroLeague, another former All-Star point guard could follow in his footsteps. According to reports from Europe’s BasketNews, John Wall is engaged in talks with EuroLeague side Olimpia Milano.

Reportedly, Wall is interested in resuming his basketball career in Europe after failing to attract interest from NBA teams.

Wall started the 2022–23 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, playing in 34 games and averaging 11.4 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.7 rebounds. He was traded to the Houston Rockets ahead of the trade deadline and was waived several days later.

Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes previously reported that Wall organized a private workout for a number of NBA teams in Las Vegas last month in hopes of landing a contract for the 2023-24 season. It seems that the attending teams were not particularly impressed as no offer came Wall’s way.

John Wall entered the NBA in 2010 as the first overall pick by the Washington Wizards. He made five consecutive All-Star appearances between 2014 and 2018 before a series of injuries derailed his career. Wall’s NBA career averages include 18.7 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game. 

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As always, the final hours before the NBA trade deadline were hectic and saw teams scrambling to improve their rosters. One of the most active teams was the Los Angeles Clippers, who made several deals to improve their depth in several positions.

The most notable trade the Clippers pulled off was acquiring veteran guard Eric Gordon from the Houston Rockets. Regarded as a great defensive player and reliable three-point shooter, Gordon was mentioned in trade talks ever since the Rockets started their rebuild, but Houston’s asking price proved to be too much for interested teams.

The Clippers finally managed to get the Rockets to cave on Thursday, orchestrating a 3-team deal that also included the Memphis Grizzlies. The Clippers received Gordon and three second-rounders while sending shooting guard Luke Kennard to the Grizzlies and veteran John Wall and pick swap rights to Houston. The Rockets also received veteran Danny Green from the Grizzlies.

Gordon is expected to improve the Clippers’ second unit and bring his playoff experience to the team. The former sixth-man of the year proved valuable in the postseason runs during the James Harden era in Houston and is averaging 16.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in the playoffs.

For Wall, this is a return to the franchise that released him just this past summer. The same scenario is expected to happen in the following days, as the Rockets reportedly have no interest in keeping Wall on the team.

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The Los Angeles Clippers point guard John Wall will be sidelined for at least two weeks after he suffered an abdominal injury during the 115-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Wall felt pain in his abdomen after stretching to perform an explosive dunk.

News of Wall’s injury was broken by the Clippers as they ruled him out of their 121-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Paul George, Marcus Morris Sr., and Luke Kennard were ruled out as well.

While George, Morris, and Kennard are all considered day-to-day, the Clippers have confirmed that it will be two weeks until Wall is reevaluated.

“I haven’t jumped like that when somebody contested me in probably like three years to be honest,” Wall said after the Nuggets’ game. “… I think I just stretched it as much as I could when I dunked it.”

Although Wall remains unavailable, the Clippers have been boosted by news that Paul George could return sooner than expected. George has missed five consecutive games since aggravating a right hamstring injury that sidelined him for seven games earlier on in the season.

The post Clippers’ John Wall Out for Two Weeks With Abdominal Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

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.

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Point guard John Wall picked up the 2022-23 player option on his contract with the Houston Rockets. However, this doesn’t mean that Wall will actually play with the Rockets next season.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Wall and the Rockets are expected to discuss the player’s future in the coming days. The organization remains hopeful that it could find a trade for the veteran soon but is willing to talk buyout if no other option seems plausible. The 31-year-old is set to earn $47.4 million in 2022-23.

John Wall joined the Rockets in late 2020 in a trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards. Wall would go on to play 40 games in 2020–21, averaging 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, before going down in March with a hamstring strain.

Despite fully recovering for the 2021-22 campaign, Wall didn’t play a single game. The rebuilding Rockets opted to focus on their younger players and have even sent Wall away from the team at one point. Both sides hoped they could find a way to part ways in the meantime, but nothing materialized.

John Wall was considered one of the league’s best guards between 2014 and 2018 when he made five consecutive All-Star appearances. Unfortunately, a series of injuries derailed his career. He had a series of health issues in recent years, including a season-ending heel surgery in 2018-19 and an Achilles rupture that caused him to miss the entire 2019-20. In total, Wall only played 113 games in the last five years.

The post John Wall Pick Up His 2022-23 Option, Expected to Talk Buyout with the Rockets appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Houston Rockets are no closer to trading veteran guard John Wall than they were two months ago when the two sides agreed to part ways. And according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, this might result in Wall sitting out the entire 2021-22 NBA season.

Wall and the Rockets made a mutual decision in September that he won’t play for the organization anymore. Houston is rebuilding and wants to develop their young stars, while the 31-year-old isn’t interested in playing for a rebuilding team. The front office started working the phones while Wall remained around the team, training and serving as a mentor to younger players.

Wojnarowski reports that trading talks Houston had with other teams led nowhere primarily because of Wall’s big contract. The five-time All-Star is owed $44 million this season and has a $47 million option for 2022-23 that he has every intention of picking up. His health also played a part, considering that Wall played only 40 games in the past three years.

There’s always an option for Wall and the Rockets to agree to a contract buyout, but that doesn’t seem to be on the table at the moment. Wall made it clear that he doesn’t intend to engage in any buyout talks at the moment, while Houston also doesn’t seem to be keen on doing that just yet.

John Wall joined the Rockets ahead of the 2020-21 NBA campaign in a trade that saw Russell Westbrook go to the Washington Wizards. Wall ended up playing 40 games last season, averaging 20.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game.

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All-Star point guard John Wall is inching closer to the end of his stint with the Houston Rockets. According to multiple reports, the two sides are currently working on finding a trade that would see Wall departing Houston in the near future.

If there’s no deal to be found when the 2021-22 NBA season tips off, Wall won’t be part of the Rockets’ lineup. He will, however, remain on the team and provide leadership to the team’s young backcourt of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green while he’s there.

Wall arrived in Houston from the Washington Wizards ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season in a trade that saw superstar guard Russell Westbrook head in the opposite direction. Having not played since late 2018, he ended up putting together a solid campaign that saw him average 20.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 40 games.

While the past season allowed Wall to show that he still can play despite the injuries that spoiled the last four years of his career, the Rockets will have a hard time finding a taker for him. This is mostly due to the massive contract that will pay him $91.7 million in the next two years, counting the $47.4 million player option for 2022-23.

Houston reportedly wants to help Wall find a landing spot but are not ready to attach a first-round pick to do so. Also, sources close to the situation reported that the team is only willing to consider a buyout if Wall isn’t off the team by the end of the upcoming season.

The post John Wall and Rockets Working Together on Finding a Trade appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The departure of superstars James Harden and Russell Westbrook has forced the Houston Rockets to rely on former All-Star guard John Wall to be their best player. And he’s delivered so far.

Despite being out of action for almost two years, Wall has been playing well in his first season with the Rockets. He’s averaging 18.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 2020-21 while leading the team to seven wins in the last eight games.

This has helped boost Wall’s confidence, who labeled himself as “the franchise guy” for the Rockets after a 115-103 win over Memphis Grizzlies.

“I feel like I’m the franchise guy, now that James [Harden] has left,” said Wall. “You very rarely get the opportunity to be a franchise [guy] in two different cities and two different teams. I feel like that’s my job, to be the leader of this team.”

John Wall joined the Rockets in a trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards over the summer. At the time, it seemed like a bad trade for Houston, as Wall has been struggling with injuries in recent years.

After missing 41 games in 2017-18 due to a knee injury, the 30-year-old star suffered a season-ending heel injury early in 2018-19. During the recovery, he went on to rupture his Achilles and ended up being sidelined for the entire 2019-20 campaign as well.

Still, Wall is looking healthy now, and his performances are giving the Rockets a reason to be optimistic. And it’s safe to say that the franchise needs some optimism after seeing their two best players leave in less than two months.

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John Wall is the new Sheriff in Houston, and had some interesting points to make about his former teammate James Harden. After beating the Portland Trailblazers 104-101 for their fourth straight win, Wall explained why his team is playing so well.

“The team wasn’t where we wanted to be and we had people that didn’t want to be here,” Wall said after the game. “So it’s kind of hard to play through that. Once the trade happened, we got the team that we wanted and guys that wanted to be here.”

Although Harden was putting up huge numbers before leaving Houston, the team wasn’t playing well with a 3-6 record. Since Harden left, the Rockets are 5-3 and won the last four in a row.

Wall’s point is pretty simple—that their inability to succeed as a team was because Harden didn’t want to be there mentally. Now that they’re a cohesive unit without him, the sky is the limit.

It also helps that Houston acquired Victor Oladipo from the Indiana Pacers in the blockbuster trade that sent away Harden. Oladipo was a rising star before getting injured for over a season, and now he’s finally starting to get back to his old ways.

With Wall, Oladipo, and young talent Christian Wood at the helm, the Houston Rockets might just make a strong push for the playoffs this season.

The post John Wall Explains Why Rockets Are Thriving Without Harden 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. 

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After Kemba Walker left the NBA to play with AS Monaco in EuroLeague, another former All-Star point guard could follow in his footsteps. According to reports from Europe’s BasketNews, John Wall is engaged in talks with EuroLeague side Olimpia Milano.

Reportedly, Wall is interested in resuming his basketball career in Europe after failing to attract interest from NBA teams.

Wall started the 2022–23 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, playing in 34 games and averaging 11.4 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.7 rebounds. He was traded to the Houston Rockets ahead of the trade deadline and was waived several days later.

Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes previously reported that Wall organized a private workout for a number of NBA teams in Las Vegas last month in hopes of landing a contract for the 2023-24 season. It seems that the attending teams were not particularly impressed as no offer came Wall’s way.

John Wall entered the NBA in 2010 as the first overall pick by the Washington Wizards. He made five consecutive All-Star appearances between 2014 and 2018 before a series of injuries derailed his career. Wall’s NBA career averages include 18.7 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game. 

The post Former All-Star PG John Wall in Talks With EuroLeague Side Olimpia Milano appeared first on SportzBonanza.

As always, the final hours before the NBA trade deadline were hectic and saw teams scrambling to improve their rosters. One of the most active teams was the Los Angeles Clippers, who made several deals to improve their depth in several positions.

The most notable trade the Clippers pulled off was acquiring veteran guard Eric Gordon from the Houston Rockets. Regarded as a great defensive player and reliable three-point shooter, Gordon was mentioned in trade talks ever since the Rockets started their rebuild, but Houston’s asking price proved to be too much for interested teams.

The Clippers finally managed to get the Rockets to cave on Thursday, orchestrating a 3-team deal that also included the Memphis Grizzlies. The Clippers received Gordon and three second-rounders while sending shooting guard Luke Kennard to the Grizzlies and veteran John Wall and pick swap rights to Houston. The Rockets also received veteran Danny Green from the Grizzlies.

Gordon is expected to improve the Clippers’ second unit and bring his playoff experience to the team. The former sixth-man of the year proved valuable in the postseason runs during the James Harden era in Houston and is averaging 16.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game in the playoffs.

For Wall, this is a return to the franchise that released him just this past summer. The same scenario is expected to happen in the following days, as the Rockets reportedly have no interest in keeping Wall on the team.

The post Clippers Trade for Eric Gordon, Send John Wall Back to the Rockets appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Los Angeles Clippers point guard John Wall will be sidelined for at least two weeks after he suffered an abdominal injury during the 115-103 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Wall felt pain in his abdomen after stretching to perform an explosive dunk.

News of Wall’s injury was broken by the Clippers as they ruled him out of their 121-100 win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday. Paul George, Marcus Morris Sr., and Luke Kennard were ruled out as well.

While George, Morris, and Kennard are all considered day-to-day, the Clippers have confirmed that it will be two weeks until Wall is reevaluated.

“I haven’t jumped like that when somebody contested me in probably like three years to be honest,” Wall said after the Nuggets’ game. “… I think I just stretched it as much as I could when I dunked it.”

Although Wall remains unavailable, the Clippers have been boosted by news that Paul George could return sooner than expected. George has missed five consecutive games since aggravating a right hamstring injury that sidelined him for seven games earlier on in the season.

The post Clippers’ John Wall Out for Two Weeks With Abdominal Injury appeared first on SportzBonanza.

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.

The post John Wall Joining the Clippers as a Free Agent appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Point guard John Wall picked up the 2022-23 player option on his contract with the Houston Rockets. However, this doesn’t mean that Wall will actually play with the Rockets next season.

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Wall and the Rockets are expected to discuss the player’s future in the coming days. The organization remains hopeful that it could find a trade for the veteran soon but is willing to talk buyout if no other option seems plausible. The 31-year-old is set to earn $47.4 million in 2022-23.

John Wall joined the Rockets in late 2020 in a trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards. Wall would go on to play 40 games in 2020–21, averaging 20.6 points and 6.9 assists per game, before going down in March with a hamstring strain.

Despite fully recovering for the 2021-22 campaign, Wall didn’t play a single game. The rebuilding Rockets opted to focus on their younger players and have even sent Wall away from the team at one point. Both sides hoped they could find a way to part ways in the meantime, but nothing materialized.

John Wall was considered one of the league’s best guards between 2014 and 2018 when he made five consecutive All-Star appearances. Unfortunately, a series of injuries derailed his career. He had a series of health issues in recent years, including a season-ending heel surgery in 2018-19 and an Achilles rupture that caused him to miss the entire 2019-20. In total, Wall only played 113 games in the last five years.

The post John Wall Pick Up His 2022-23 Option, Expected to Talk Buyout with the Rockets appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Houston Rockets are no closer to trading veteran guard John Wall than they were two months ago when the two sides agreed to part ways. And according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, this might result in Wall sitting out the entire 2021-22 NBA season.

Wall and the Rockets made a mutual decision in September that he won’t play for the organization anymore. Houston is rebuilding and wants to develop their young stars, while the 31-year-old isn’t interested in playing for a rebuilding team. The front office started working the phones while Wall remained around the team, training and serving as a mentor to younger players.

Wojnarowski reports that trading talks Houston had with other teams led nowhere primarily because of Wall’s big contract. The five-time All-Star is owed $44 million this season and has a $47 million option for 2022-23 that he has every intention of picking up. His health also played a part, considering that Wall played only 40 games in the past three years.

There’s always an option for Wall and the Rockets to agree to a contract buyout, but that doesn’t seem to be on the table at the moment. Wall made it clear that he doesn’t intend to engage in any buyout talks at the moment, while Houston also doesn’t seem to be keen on doing that just yet.

John Wall joined the Rockets ahead of the 2020-21 NBA campaign in a trade that saw Russell Westbrook go to the Washington Wizards. Wall ended up playing 40 games last season, averaging 20.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game.

The post John Wall Reportedly Might Sit Out Entire NBA Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

All-Star point guard John Wall is inching closer to the end of his stint with the Houston Rockets. According to multiple reports, the two sides are currently working on finding a trade that would see Wall departing Houston in the near future.

If there’s no deal to be found when the 2021-22 NBA season tips off, Wall won’t be part of the Rockets’ lineup. He will, however, remain on the team and provide leadership to the team’s young backcourt of Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green while he’s there.

Wall arrived in Houston from the Washington Wizards ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season in a trade that saw superstar guard Russell Westbrook head in the opposite direction. Having not played since late 2018, he ended up putting together a solid campaign that saw him average 20.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 40 games.

While the past season allowed Wall to show that he still can play despite the injuries that spoiled the last four years of his career, the Rockets will have a hard time finding a taker for him. This is mostly due to the massive contract that will pay him $91.7 million in the next two years, counting the $47.4 million player option for 2022-23.

Houston reportedly wants to help Wall find a landing spot but are not ready to attach a first-round pick to do so. Also, sources close to the situation reported that the team is only willing to consider a buyout if Wall isn’t off the team by the end of the upcoming season.

The post John Wall and Rockets Working Together on Finding a Trade appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The departure of superstars James Harden and Russell Westbrook has forced the Houston Rockets to rely on former All-Star guard John Wall to be their best player. And he’s delivered so far.

Despite being out of action for almost two years, Wall has been playing well in his first season with the Rockets. He’s averaging 18.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 2020-21 while leading the team to seven wins in the last eight games.

This has helped boost Wall’s confidence, who labeled himself as “the franchise guy” for the Rockets after a 115-103 win over Memphis Grizzlies.

“I feel like I’m the franchise guy, now that James [Harden] has left,” said Wall. “You very rarely get the opportunity to be a franchise [guy] in two different cities and two different teams. I feel like that’s my job, to be the leader of this team.”

John Wall joined the Rockets in a trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards over the summer. At the time, it seemed like a bad trade for Houston, as Wall has been struggling with injuries in recent years.

After missing 41 games in 2017-18 due to a knee injury, the 30-year-old star suffered a season-ending heel injury early in 2018-19. During the recovery, he went on to rupture his Achilles and ended up being sidelined for the entire 2019-20 campaign as well.

Still, Wall is looking healthy now, and his performances are giving the Rockets a reason to be optimistic. And it’s safe to say that the franchise needs some optimism after seeing their two best players leave in less than two months.

The post Rockets’ John Wall: “I Feel Like I’m The Franchise Guy” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

John Wall is the new Sheriff in Houston, and had some interesting points to make about his former teammate James Harden. After beating the Portland Trailblazers 104-101 for their fourth straight win, Wall explained why his team is playing so well.

“The team wasn’t where we wanted to be and we had people that didn’t want to be here,” Wall said after the game. “So it’s kind of hard to play through that. Once the trade happened, we got the team that we wanted and guys that wanted to be here.”

Although Harden was putting up huge numbers before leaving Houston, the team wasn’t playing well with a 3-6 record. Since Harden left, the Rockets are 5-3 and won the last four in a row.

Wall’s point is pretty simple—that their inability to succeed as a team was because Harden didn’t want to be there mentally. Now that they’re a cohesive unit without him, the sky is the limit.

It also helps that Houston acquired Victor Oladipo from the Indiana Pacers in the blockbuster trade that sent away Harden. Oladipo was a rising star before getting injured for over a season, and now he’s finally starting to get back to his old ways.

With Wall, Oladipo, and young talent Christian Wood at the helm, the Houston Rockets might just make a strong push for the playoffs this season.

The post John Wall Explains Why Rockets Are Thriving Without Harden 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.