Since James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, rumors have been continuously swirling around veteran point guard John Wall and his future with the Houston Rockets. Wall may not have shown a strong indication that he’s no longer happy in Space City but with the team expected to undergo a full-scale rebuild, staying with the Rockets no longer makes sense for the 30-year-old floor general.
At this point in his career, Wall would be better off being traded to a team that could give him a realistic chance of winning his first NBA championship title next year.
John Wall To LA Clippers
According to N.B. Lindberg of Fansided’s Space City Scoop, one of the teams that could take a chance on Wall this summer is the Los Angeles Clippers. After failing to capture their first Larry O’Brien Trophy this season, the Clippers are expected to be more aggressive in upgrading their roster around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the 2021 offseason.
Wall may have gone through plenty of ups and downs in the past years but when he’s 100 percent healthy, he would make the Clippers a more competitive team in the loaded Western Conference in the 2021-22 NBA season.
Proposed Trade To Acquire John Wall
With his health concerns and lucrative contract, the Rockets would be in no position to demand the king’s ransom for the five-time NBA All-Star. However, to match his massive salary, the Clippers would still need to sacrifice some important members of their rotation.
In the proposed trade scenario by Lindberg, the Clippers would be sending a package that includes Marcus Morris, Rajon Rondo, Luke Kennard, and Patrick Beverley to the Rockets in exchange for Wall and the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2023 first-round pick.
Is John Wall Worth Giving Up Four Players?
Trading Morris, Beverley, Kennard, and Rondo for Wall would be a huge gamble for the Clippers. However, if he could assure them that he’s injury-free, Wall would undeniably be an intriguing addition to the Clippers.
His potential arrival in Los Angeles would help the Clippers grant Leonard’s request for a starting-caliber point guard. Aside from being a great playmaker, Wall would also give the Clippers a very reliable third-scoring option behind Leonard and George and a threat from the three-point range.
This season, Wall averaged 20.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
Why The Rockets Would Make The Trade
The proposed blockbuster trade with the Clippers would also make sense for the Rockets, especially if they are determined to get rid of Wall and his lucrative contract in the 2021 offseason. By sending him to Los Angeles, the Rockets would be getting a young and promising wingman in Kennard and three solid veteran role players in Rondo, Morris, and Beverley.
Rondo, Morris, and Beverley would be great mentors to the Rockets’ young core. If they perform well and manage to stay away from any major injury, the Rockets could try trading all of them for young players and/or future draft picks before the 2022 trade deadline.
