Wednesday the Washington Wizards will host the Houston Rockets at Capital One Arena. It should be a joyous night for fans, who should be celebrating the homecoming of John Wall, the man Wizards fans cheered for nearly a decade.
Instead, Wall won’t even be at the game. He’s perfectly healthy, nearly two years removed from Achilles surgery.
Yet he won’t be in uniform thanks to a pre-season arrangement with the Rockets. Wall and the Rockets mutually agreed the five-time All-Star wouldn’t play for Houston this season, while both sides worked on finding a trade partner.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any teams willing to take on the $91.7 million still owed to Wall through the 2022-23 season. Understandably, neither Wall nor the Rockets are interested in a buyout.
The two sides met in November with hopes of hashing out a plan for Wall to return to the court after public criticism. However, Wall wants a guaranteed spot in the starting rotation, something the Rockets won’t agree to. Thus, Wall will continue to sit out the season.
The Rockets are more keen on allowing their young players to get starting minutes, including their young backcourt tandem of Kevin Porter Jr., and rookie Jalen Green.
Last season, Wall averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists in 40 games after being traded from the Wizards to Rockets. He faced the Wizards in Washington last February, scoring 29 points in a Rockets’ loss. However, there were no fans in attendance thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
Nowadays, Wall has been seen in workout videos, staying in shape for his opportunity in case he is ever traded elsewhere or something changes with the Rockets’ stance.
