John Wall believes the Washington Wizards thought he was done following his ruptured Achilles that kept him out of action for two years. Wall rehabbed to get back on the floor to join Bradley Beal. But on the heels of his much anticipated return, Wall was traded to the Houston Rockets, along with a protected first-round pick, for Russell Westbrook.
“I just wish I would have known up front and not have to beat around the bush to figure things out. That’s just my motivation there. They thought I was done. Basically, that’s how I feel,” Wall told Chris Miller of NBC Sports Washington.
Rumors of the blockbuster trade surfaced just prior to the NBA Draft in November. That set off an array of emotions from Wizards fans. Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard publicly denied the team was considering trading Wall. However, Sheppard refute proved to be untrue, as the trade was made official in December.
Wall inquired the powers that be when the rumors of a trade initially surfaced. He doesn’t understand why he wasn’t told the truth.
“Most importantly, all I really wanted from the start of all of it was just to be told the truth,” Wall said. “That’s the most important thing and what made it so hard for me to understand what was going on because I wasn’t told the truth. I understand it’s a business and things go on and people move on and you get traded, organizations in different ways.
“When I heard the rumors, I called and asked are these true or are these something not to worry about? From that day forward, all I heard was ‘no, those rumors aren’t true, don’t worry about it.’ In all reality, it was true,” Wall said.
For 10 years Wall was the face of the Wizards franchise. He built a lifelong relationship with the fans of Washington as the cornerstone. However, injuries halted the momentum he helped build with the team.
The Wizards evidently wanted to keep their plans under radar as much as possible despite the reports surfacing. But, Wall felt through all his contributions and what he meant to the franchise as a whole, he deserved to know the Wizards’ true intentions.
