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HOUSTON – Russell Westbrook heads to the Washington Wizards and John Wall moves to the Houston Rockets in a significant point guard change, one as MVP and the other as the first overall pick in the draft, just weeks before the start of the game. season.
The Wizards sent a future lottery-protected first-round pick to the Rockets on Wednesday night (Thursday Manila time).
“Having the opportunity to acquire a player of Russell’s caliber and character was something we couldn’t pass up when we looked at the immediate and long-term future of our team,” Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard said in a statement. “That said, the decision to part ways with John, one of the greatest players in franchise history, was extremely difficult. What he has meant to our organization and our community is immeasurable and will not be forgotten.”
While Wall has played his entire professional career in the nation’s capital, the move ends Westbrook’s tenure in Houston after just one disappointing season. Came from Oklahoma City in July 2019 for Chris Paul and draft picks.
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The Rockets hoped that the 32-year-old Westbrook would be the final piece they needed to win their first title since winning back-to-back championships in 1994-95. But instead, Houston was eliminated from the playoffs by eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western semifinals. Westbrook was the 2017 NBA MVP and a nine-time All-Star, but has failed to win a title.
Many questioned whether the pair of two dominant guards on the ball like Westbrook and James Harden would work in Houston, but longtime friends insisted it would. After the Rockets were sent home from the playoffs early again, rumors began to circulate that the two weren’t happy in Houston and that they both wanted out.
But after spending years building his entire team around Harden, who won the Most Valuable Player award in 2018, the Rockets weren’t interested in parting ways with him. This move could be how new general manager Rafael Stone appeases Harden so the Rockets can continue their quest for a title this season rather than rebuild without the superstar. Stone was promoted to general manager last month after Daryl Morey resigned before quickly accepting a job with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Westbrook-Wall deal works by NBA rules because the two players are owed roughly the same amount: each receives more than $ 80 million over the next two seasons, plus each has a player option of more than $ 45 million for 2022-23.
And both were looking to move on.
Wall, Kentucky’s first overall pick in the 2010 draft, became the face of the Washington franchise, a five-time All-Star who repeatedly helped lead his team to the playoffs.
But the Wall Wizards never reached 50 wins in a season or made it to the conference semifinals.
Wall, 30, has averaged 19 points and 9.2 assists in his career.
He has been concerned about injuries of late, appearing in just 41 games in 2017-18 due to left knee surgery, then just 32 in 2018-19 due to a left heel problem that required surgery. While recovering from that, Wall tore his left Achilles tendon and was out all of last season.
After a report surfaced that Wall wanted to leave Washington, Sheppard said on Nov. 23 that Wall “did not request” to be transferred when they spoke that morning.
“There are no plans to change John,” Sheppard said during a video conference with reporters that day.
He said he and Wall talk “almost every day” and characterized their relationship as “very, very close.”
“There are no problems between John and me,” Sheppard said then. “There are no problems with John and the Wizards.”
But he also reaffirmed that his plan is to build around guard Bradley Beal, whose scoring average of 30.5 points last season was second in the league behind Harden.
After a stretch of reaching the postseason four times in five years, Washington has missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons, losing 47 games last season and 50 the season before.
Hall of Famer Magic Johnson believes that the Beal and Westbrook pairing will be what the Wizards need to be a contender in the Eastern Conference.
“Everyone now has to watch out for the Wizards! Today they traded for Russell Westbrook,” Johnson tweeted. “(Westbrook) / (Beal) will terrorize the East and make the Wizards a playoff team.”
Wall was loved in Washington and team owner Ted Leonsis praised the player and his contributions to the team and the city in a series of tweets Wednesday night.
“He has been a great player of stellar caliber and a fantastic citizen and leader in our community,” Leonsis wrote. “I am proud of how hard John has worked to return to the league after two years out of competition. Our fans, our franchise and I will miss him very much.”
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