The Houston Rockets have played the entire the 2021-22 NBA season without John Wall logging a single minute of action. Could he find himself back on the court in game action with the team? Or could he find himself in a trade closer to the deadline? Or will he agree to a buyout? Or…well, you get the point, there’s more unknowns than knowns at this stage.
The last update about Wall’s current situation with the Rockets was related to him meeting with the organization to discuss a potential return to action. That, of course, has not resulted in an actionable outcome. However, one detail that seems to be missed by many is Wall’s perspective on role.
As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported, Wall has not been the most receptive of a ‘complementary role’ playing alongside the Houston Rockets’ young guard—Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green—requiring him to come off the bench.
The Rockets have wanted Wall to accept a complementary role to its young players to play on this team, and the five-time All-Star guard’s unwillingness to do so continues to be a hurdle for the sides in a possible return to play this season, sources said.
John Wall is facing a situation where a possible inflection point in his career could occur. By accepting a bench role now, he could be establishing a label for himself that he doesn’t want to have to end up shaking—being a bench player.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Teams Should Continue To Monitor John Wall’s Availability
Wall is coming off a season where he averaged 20.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists after missing the previous two campaigns due to consecutive major injuries. He showed intriguing signs of being able to impact the game and while leaving the impression that more efficiency could take place after having a full season under his belt.
The main complication with teams weighing the risk of trading for Wall is his $41.3 million salary. It’s not even close when evaluating the worst contracts in the NBA as that title belongs to him.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 3 Teams Should Continue To Monitor John Wall’s Availability
A player who is earning a supermax salary is not going to get moved unless they are playing like a top 10 player in the NBA. Unless John Wall decides he is willing to come off the bench or give up money to play, he likely find himself sidelined.
