John Wall, Houston Rockets. (Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports)
There is a chance point guard John Wall does not play a second during the 2021-22 NBA season, whether that be for the Houston Rockets or for anyone, for that matter.
John Wall is getting paid handsomely to not play a single second for awful the Houston Rockets.
Rebuilding Houston is an atrocious 1-10. Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, there is a strongly possibility Wall does not play at all this season. “There are no plans for John Wall to play for the Rockets, and it’s becoming increasingly likely that John Wall may not play anywhere in the NBA this season because the cost of his contract right now is just too prohibitive,” said Wojnarowski.
Wall is owed $91.7 million for the next two seasons. This includes a $47.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season that he signed back when he was still a member of the Washington Wizards organization. At this time, Wall is not planning on opting out of any of that money.
Since tearing his Achilles, Wall has played in only 40 games over the last three NBA seasons.
Houston Rockets PG John Wall may not play at all in the 2021-22 NBA season
With Jalen Green as the team’s young star, the Rockets are totally cool with the team taking loss after loss if that allows him to be surrounded by more top flight talent in future NBA Drafts. Though Wall’s contract is an absolute albatross of a sunk cost, this is what the Rockets signed up for when they dealt Russell Westbrook to the Wizards for Wall during the early part of last season.
Ultimately, the only way Wall sees the court in the next two seasons is if he is willing to give up his player option for 2022-23. A bad team might be willing to take on much of his remaining 2021-22 season salary, but no organization will want to absorb almost $100 million willingly over the next two years for a point guard who is physically past his prime. This is the worst contract in the NBA.
The longer the Rockets hold onto Wall’s deadweight contract, the more undeniable it will be that this bottom-feeding Western Conference hoops team is shamelessly tanking.