The 2021 trade deadline may have passed with veteran point guard John Wall still an official member of the Houston Rockets but when the 2020-21 NBA season is officially over, they are highly expected to find him a new home. With the team heading into an inevitable rebuild, keeping Wall no longer makes sense for the Rockets. With his health issues and lucrative contract, finding a trade partner for Wall would undeniably be a tough task for Rockets general manager Rafael Stone.
Celtics Could Take A Chance On John Wall
However, if they wouldn’t demand much in return for the veteran point guard, there would surely be teams who would take a chance on Wall in the 2021 offseason. According to Michael Balko of NBA Analysis Network, one of the potential suitors of Wall on the trade market is the Boston Celtics. If they suffer an early playoff exit this season, the Celtics are expected to be more aggressive in upgrading their roster around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Tatum and Brown may have blossomed into All-Star caliber players but as of now, the Celtics obviously need more star power on their roster in order to have a realistic chance of fully dominating the Eastern Conference and contending for the NBA championship title.
Potential Celtics’ Trade Package To Acquire John Wall
Acquiring Wall from the Rockets wouldn’t require the Celtics to pay the king’s ransom. According to Balko, a trade package that includes Kemba Walker, Tristan Thompson, a 2021 second-round pick, and a 2022 second-round pick would be enough to convince the Rockets to send Wall to Beantown in the 2021 offseason.
Though it wouldn’t give them salary cap flexibility, the proposed trade scenario would allow the Rockets to add two future draft assets to their collection. If Walker and Thompson perform well next season, they could try trading them for young players and future draft assets before the 2022 trade deadline.
John Wall An Upgrade Over Kemba Walker
Both Wall and Walker are veterans who have health issues and lucrative contracts. However, between the two, there’s no doubt that Wall is the better floor general. When he’s 100 percent healthy, Wall would be an upgrade over Walker at the Celtics’ starting point guard position.
He would give them a very reliable third scoring option behind Tatum and Brown, as well as an incredible playmaker and three-pointer. This season, the 30-year-old point guard is averaging 20.8 points, 6.8 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 41.0 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN.
John Wall Would Welcome A Trade To Celtics
Wall may not have shown any sign that he’s longer happy in Houston but at this point in his career, he would definitely prefer to play for a legitimate playoff contender than wasting his time mentoring young players on a rebuilding team like the Rockets. Compared to Rockets, joining forces with Tatum and Brown in Boston would give him a legitimate chance of reaching the NBA Finals and capturing his first Larry O’Brien Trophy next year.
If he plays well with the Celtics, it could help Wall bring himself back to the conversation of one of the best point guards in league history.
