WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 30: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Houston Rockets (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Could Russell Westbrook really get traded for John Wall?
The Houston Rockets are on the verge of blowing it all up and starting over with Rafael Stone as general manager and Stephen Silas as head coach, as both James Harden and Russell Westbrook have both reportedly been looking to earn themselves a ticket out of Houston. One new suitor has joined the battle for Westbrook, and it’s the Washington Wizards, who themselves are potentially looking to move off of John Wall’s contract.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania is reporting that the Rockets and Wizards have discussed a potential deal that would send Westbrook to Washington and Wall to Houston, but nothing has materialized, with Houston wanting more assets.
Russell Westbrook and John Wall are great scorers, but they have similar play styles
Westbrook is coming off of an All-NBA season in which he topped 27 points per game despite playing alongside the ball-dominant Harden, but the trade market hasn’t been overly robust, as Washington, the New York Knicks and the Charlotte Hornets are among the few that have had interest in him. With Westbrook having just turned 32 and still owed an obscene amount of money, that lack of interest makes some sense.
Wall is as radioactive a trade commodity as there is in the league. With his game predicated on speed, an Achilles injury that has sidelined him for a year-and-a-half has to worry prospective teams. With Wall also carrying a super-max contract with him, this seems like two teams trading the exact same player, albeit with one being much healthier than the other.
This does seem like a confusing swap at face value, as a rebuilding Washington team would essentially be trading a super-max point guard who has issues shooting the ball for a slightly better super-max point guard who also has issues shooting the ball. However, this would allow the Wizards to get rid of Wall’s contract, and Westbrook could fulfill his wish of being “the man” again, meaning that it’s just crazy enough to work.