Five-time All-Star John Wall will have a new NBA home next season. Wall and the Houston Rockets reached a buyout agreement, shaving $6.5 million off his $47.4 million salary for the 2022-23 season, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
The move will make Wall a free agent after he clears waivers. However, his new home appears to be already set.
Wall plans to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers once he clears waivers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Other teams are still calling to pursue the 31-year old, but his intentions are set to sign with L.A.
Drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, Wall spent 10 seasons with the Washington Wizards. He became a cornerstone player, guiding the Wizards to four playoff appearances during a five-year stretch.
A ruptured Achilles in 2019 put him on the shelf for more than a year. Just as he was set to return for the 2020-21 season, the Wizards traded him and a protected first-round draft pick to Houston for Russell Westbrook. During his time with Washington, he averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 573 games.
In his first season with the Rockets, Wall averaged 20.6 points, 6.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 40 games. However, Houston and Wall reached an agreement for him not to play during the 2021-22 season, as he collected his $44.3 million salary.
Last week, Wall exercised his $47.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season. The prompted tent to reach a buyout agreement with the Rockets.
Now, he’ll join forces with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard under head coach Tyronn Lue. Leonard also didn’t play a game last season as he dealt with a partially torn ACL.
The Clippers are looking to bounce back from a disappointing season that ended in the play-in tournament with back-to-back losses to Minnesota and New Orleans.
