The Houston Rockets’ John Wall era appears to be drawing to a close. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Wall and the Rockets are working together to find him a new team, as the franchise is in the midst of a rebuild and the veteran guard is looking for a new challenge.
According to Charania, there is no buyout option on the table — Wall has two years left on his contract and is set to earn just under $92 million — but the two sides have met to discuss how things might work moving forward, with Wall reporting to training camp but not playing in any games once the season starts.
In a meeting between Wall and the Rockets recently, Houston officials explained to Wall the direction of the franchise and that the team wants to protect the veteran guard’s health. The Rockets explained that the team does not want to jeopardize Wall’s fitness, and the sides agreed on the route that won’t complicate his ability to continue playing at a high level.
Wall was acquired by the Rockets in a transaction that sent Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards prior of the 2020-21 season. After missing the second part of the 2018-19 season and the entire 2019-20 season due to injury, Wall was given the chance to reclaim his form for a team that had turned its attention to the long-term following the James Harden trade. For the Rockets, Wall averaged 20.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 3.2 rebounds in 32.2 minutes per game.
