Clippers' John Wall: Inks two-year deal with Clips
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Wall and the Clippers agreed Friday to a two-year, $13.2 million contract, per Klutch Sports Group.
Wall joins the Clippers after a contract buyout with the Rockets. Wall hasn't played since April 2020, as he sat out all last season with Houston looking to develop young players. The 31-year-old, five-time All-Star will presumably slot into the starting point guard spot, forming a formidable Clippers rotation that includes Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, plus a myriad of skilled and experienced role players.
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John Wall: Planning to sign with Clippers
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Wall is planning on signing with the Clippers once he clears waivers, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports.
Wall wasted no time in choosing his preferred destination, as the veteran agreed to a contract buyout with the Rockets less than a half an hour before news spread that he plans on signing with the Clippers. Although the Kentucky product can't officially join the Clippers just yet, and there are reportedly numerous teams calling in to pursue him away, Wall remains locked in on signing with the Clippers. He'll join Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and form one of the best "Big Three" in the league.
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Rockets' John Wall: Agrees to contract buyout
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Wall and the Rockets have agreed to a contract buyout, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports.
Wall is now set to become an unrestricted free agent and is free to sign with any team this offseason once his contract buyout is officially secured. The five-time All-Star, who turns 32 in September, hasn't played a full season since his time with the Wizards during the 2016-17 campaign. Wall will likely garner attention from contending squads looking to add a veteran presence in the backcourt.
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Rockets' John Wall: Trade or buyout could be coming
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Wall and the Rockets will meet this week to discuss a potential trade or contract buyout, Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports.
As expected, Wall opted into his $47.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season, but as an expiring contract he's not much easier to trade or buy out than he was last season, which he ended up sitting out entirely. For Wall, the easier path to finding a new team is likely a buyout, though the Rockets would obviously prefer to find a trade partner in order to ease at least a portion of the financial burden. Per Iko, "a breakup between Wall and the franchise is gaining momentum," so the hope is that a resolution can be reached prior to the start of free agency on the evening of Thursday, June 30. When Wall last played -- 40 games for Houston in 2020-21 -- he averaged 20.6 points on 40.4 percent shooting to go with 6.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks per contest. The No. 1 overall pick in 2010 turns 32 in September, but he's missed the entirety of two of the last three seasons due to a combination of injuries and the contract situation.
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Rockets' John Wall: Exercises player option for 2022-23
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Wall exercised his $47.4 million player option for the 2022-23 campaign, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Wall didn't play a single game during the 2021-22 campaign as the team prioritized the development of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter. The 2010 first-round pick turned down the opportunity to play as a reserve and instead focused on individual development in anticipation of a potential trade. Both sides are expected to work through a resolution to Wall's tenure in Houston during the offseason, but if he's not traded this summer, he'll look for a buyout agreement during the 2022-23 season, per Michael Scotto of USA Today.
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Rockets' John Wall: Training in Miami
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Wall has recently been working on his conditioning and ramping up his workouts in Miami, but he's not expected to play for the Rockets at any point this season, Kelly Iko of The Athletic reports.
In late November, Wall met with the Houston brass about a potential return to team activities, but upon being informed that he wouldn't get the opportunity to compete for a starting role, the veteran point guard determined he was better off conducting workouts on his own in anticipation of a potential trade. The trade deadline has since come and gone without Wall being moved, and a potential buyout likely won't be in the cards unless the 31-year-old is willing to give up a significant portion of whatever remains of the $44.31 million he's owed in 2021-22 plus his $47.37 million player option for 2022-23. The financial obstacles mean that Wall may not end up playing this season unless he and the Rockets mutually agree to bring him back in the fold in a limited role off the bench behind young guards Kevin Porter and Jalen Green, whose development remains a bigger priority for the organization.
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Rockets' John Wall: Working into game shape
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Coach Stephen Silas said Monday that Wall is working into game shape as discussions continue regarding the guard potentially taking the court for the Rockets, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
The two sides met this weekend in hopes of working out an arrangement in which Wall would play for Houston, but he opted to continue sitting out after the team informed him that he wouldn't be guaranteed a starting role. It remains to be seen when -- or if -- he'll take the court for the Rockets this season.
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Rockets' John Wall: Remains at impasse with Houston
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Wall met with Rockets team officials Sunday and plans to continue sitting out games after being informed that he wouldn't be guaranteed a starting role if he rejoins the team for workouts, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Prior to training camp, Wall and the Rockets mutually agreed to pursue a parting of ways, but finding a trade partner for the point guard -- who is owed $44.31 million in 2021-22 and holds a $47.37 million player option for 2022-23 -- has predictably proved difficult. With trade discussions with other teams seemingly gaining no traction over the past two months unless Wall is willing to waive his player option for next season, the 31-year-old met with the Rockets brass again this weekend with the hope of working out an arrangement that would allow him to play while Houston looks to find a trade suitor. Apparently, having the ability to compete for a starting role and a normal minutes load to go along with it is an important condition for Wall, and one Houston wasn't willing to grant him while the organization's top priority is giving regular playing time to young guards Jalen Green (hamstring) and Kevin Porter. Unless Wall's stance changes and he's willing to accept a sixth-man role with Houston, it doesn't appear as though he'll suit up for the team anytime soon. And given the lack of activity surrounding a potential trade elsewhere, Wall may need to give back money as part of a buyout if he wants to play anywhere in 2021-22.
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Rockets' John Wall: Wants to resume playing for Rockets
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ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said "John Wall has expressed his hopes to the organization that he can resume playing" on Saturday.
Two months ago, the Rockets and Wall agreed he would not play while searching for a potential trade partner. The latter wants to play again after receiving little interest from teams since then. However, Wall may not get the playing time he desires. The rebuilding Rockets could be better off maximizing playing time for their young guard duo of Kevin Porter and Jalen Green.
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Rockets' John Wall: Still no plans to play for Rockets
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ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reiterated Wednesday that Wall is unlikely to play for the Rockets this season. "There are no plans for John Wall to play for the Rockets, and it's becoming increasingly likely that [he] may not play anywhere in the NBA this season," Wojnarowski said.
This isn't exactly breaking news, considering the Rockets made it clear before the season that Wall would not be active, but the fact that they seem to have made no headway in finding a potential trade partner is new information. For now, it looks as though 2021-22 could be a lost season for the 31-year-old, who sat out the entire 2019-20 campaign while recovering from knee and Achilles injuries. Wall returned to the court last season and appeared in 40 of a possible 72 games for Houston, logging 20.6 points, 6.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. While he proved he can still be a productive player, the Rockets are prioritizing youth development, so the veteran does not fit their current timeline. As far as possible trades go, the biggest impasse is the more than $90 million remaining on Wall's contract, which expires after the 2022-23 season.
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Rockets' John Wall: Will not play for Rockets
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Wall met with the Rockets recently and the two sides agreed to work toward finding a new team for the veteran guard, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Considering Wall's age and injury history, it's not overly surprising that the Rockets would prefer to favor young players, but preemptively announcing that Wall will not play in any games for the team is a fairly drastic step. Per Charania, Wall will be with the team when training camp begins later this month, but he will not play in any games as Houston presumably works toward finding a trade partner for the five-time All-Star, who appeared in 40 of 72 games last season. While Wall struggled to score efficiently, he still managed to put up 20.6 points, 6.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game, so while past knee and Achilles injuries remain a concern, Wall is young enough (31) that he could still reasonably help another franchise. With the Rockets claiming that they will not pursue a buyout of the two years and $91.7 million remaining on Wall's deal, the question is this: How many other teams will be interested in shouldering that financial burden?
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Rockets' John Wall: Done for season
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Wall will be sidelined for the rest of the season due to a hamstring tweak, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Wall will miss the rest of the season despite the fact that the injury doesn't sound incredibly severe. Houston is not competing for the playoffs and will give the veteran point guard plenty of time to recover after he appeared in 40 games this season. To end the season, Wall averaged 20.6 points on 40.4 percent shooting, 6.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 triples and 1.1 steals per game.
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Rockets' John Wall: Scores 27 points Friday
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Wall had 27 points (9-22 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 8-9 FT), 13 assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal across 39 minutes in Friday's loss against the Clippers.
Wall led the Rockets in what turned out to be a close loss against the Clippers, and he delivered his first double-double in almost a month while also recording 20-plus points for the third time over his last four games. The star point guard won't be playing Saturday at Denver due to rest purposes and will presumably return Tuesday against the Timberwolves.
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Rockets' John Wall: Will play Friday, out Saturday
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Wall will play Friday against the Clippers but will sit out Saturday against the Nuggets for rest, Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston reports.
As has been the case this season, Wall will sit out the second half of a back-to-back set. That leaves the Rockets without a point guard, as Kevin Porter (COVID-19 protocols) isn't available. More minutes and usage should go toward Avery Bradley and Armoni Brooks.
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Rockets' John Wall: Scores team-high 21
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Wall totaled 21 points (8-19 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six assists and three rebounds in a 112-89 loss to Utah on Wednesday.
Wall bounced back and had a solid offensive performance after failing to score 15 points in back-to-back games prior to Wednesday's contest. The guard also continues to be a good source of assists for fantasy managers, as he has recorded six-plus assists in six of his last seven games. Over that stretch, Wall has averaged 21.4 points, 6.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
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Rockets' John Wall: Available Wednesday
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Wall (migraine) is available for Wednesday's matchup against the Jazz.
Wall was dealing with a migraine earlier in the day, but it seems to have cleared up. This month, he's averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 33.5 minutes.
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Rockets' John Wall: Dealing with headache
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Wall has been added to the injury report ahead of Wednesday's game against Utah due to a migraine headache.
The expectation is still that Wall will be able to take the court, but his status is now something to monitor over the next several hours. The veteran guard is coming off of a 14-point, six-assist, four-rebound, four-turnover performance against the Heat on Monday night.
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Rockets' John Wall: Scores 14 points in return
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Wall had 14 points (4-14 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six assists, four rebounds and a steal across 30 minutes in Monday's loss against the Heat.
Wall returned from a one-game absence, as he was held out of Sunday's matchup with the Magic for rest, but he wasn't sharp in this one and needed 14 shots just to score 14 points while struggling badly from the floor. Those off nights can be expected considering the veteran has missed considerable time due to injuries over the last few years, but that shouldn't take anything away from the fact that he'll likely continue being one of the Rockets' main fantasy performers on a nightly basis.
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Rockets' John Wall: Back in action
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Wall (rest) will return Monday against the Heat, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Wall was held out of Sunday's matchup with the Magic for rest, but he'll be back on the hardwood for the second half of his squad's back-to-back. He's averaging 23.0 points, 6.6 assists and 2.2 rebounds across 34.2 minutes in the month of April (five games).
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Rockets' John Wall: Out Sunday
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Wall is out Sunday against the Magic for rest.
Wall is being rested on the front half of the back-to-back set. In his absence, Avery Bradley and Armoni Brooks could see more action.
