NBA Rumors: Rockets, John Wall Expected to Re-Visit Buyout Talks

The Houston Rockets paid an awful lot of money to the five-time All-Star guard John Wall last season all for him to not play for the team.

While Wall was healthy and willing to take the court at a point, the rebuilding Rockets found a way to convince Wall to focus on staying healthy and bettering himself without playing in games.

Wall hasn’t taken the court since the 2020-2021 NBA season. And it doesn’t seem like the former All-Star will suit up for another game as long as he’s on the Rockets, who want to move on.

A contract buyout could’ve been an option last year, but Wall was willing to sit on the bench and collect his $44 million salary. While the Rockets considered trading Wall, there weren’t any deals out there worth their time.

As the 2022 offseason starts to heat up, the Rockets will continue to scour the trade market seeking out a potential suitor for Wall. According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, a failure to find a new landing spot for Wall before the 2022 NBA Draft would more than likely cause the Rockets and Wall to re-visit the buyout discussion so the 31-year-old guard could hit the open market a sign somewhere else.

“If the Rockets are unable to find a trade for Wall before the June 23 NBA draft, all signs now point to Houston and Wall's representation revisiting buyout talks prior to free agency in July. In that event, Wall would become an unrestricted free agent.”

Should the Sixers be Interested?

During the 2021 offseason, there were short-lived talks about a possible John Wall-Ben Simmons swap after the three-time All-Star requested a trade from the 76ers. Trade talks between the Sixers and the Rockets didn’t heat up. Eventually, Daryl Morey’s patience paid off and landed Philly James Harden.

Trading for Wall was never really an option for the Sixers, but signing the veteran point guard is a different story. How much does Wall have left in the tank? Well, based on his last 40-game stint, he averaged 19 points in 32 minutes per game. He also produced 6.9 assists per game while shooting 40-percent from the field and 31-percent from three, which is right around his career average.

The Sixers fixed their lack of reliable ball-handlers in the starting lineup issue when they got Harden. But beyond Harden and the developing Tyrese Maxey, Philly is thin in the playmaker department.

If Wall is willing to embrace a six-man type of role at this point in his career, he should be somebody the Sixers look at as question marks surround Shake Milton and the rest of the reserve guards in Philly. So far, though, only two teams have been linked to Wall, as the Los Angeles Clippers and the Miami Heat have been suggested as “strong potential landing spots” for Wall, according to Fischer.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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