For ten seasons, John Wall has been the face of the Washington Wizards. He has insisted his career will finish where it started in 2010. This routine changed on Tuesday. In the wake of reports that Wall demanded a trade from Washington, the five-time all-star was deferential when asked by a reporter to clear the air.
Did John Wall request a trade from the Wizards? @ScottABC7 asked the guard to set the record straight. pic.twitter.com/j0jFHF6vzw
— ABC 7 Sports (@ABC7Sports) November 24, 2020
“No comment.”
John Wall
This follows a report by Ava Wallace of the Washington Post that Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard does not plan on trading Wall.
“There’s no plans to trade John… There’s a lot of people that get excited on the Internet or whatnot, but I was with John this morning. I watched him work out. He had another fantastic workout. [I] talked to all of our players.”
Tommy Sheppard, Washington Post
Why So Cryptic About a Wall Trade?
Neither Wall, nor Sheppard, outwardly denied the trade request. And the two did not offer a ton of reassurance. Wall spoke in cryptic platitudes. Sheppard was quick to mention his communications with the team, although he did not expound on these conversations. What do we take away from that? What are we supposed to believe? Who are we to believe? Hopefully Sheppard is prepared for a Sysiphisian regimen of denial. Whatever happens, the questions will persist. Hopefully, the distractions will not impact the team.
As Belly Up covered in a recent post, questions regarding Wall’s contract and health surround trade discussions. The following scenarios consider these two concerns. Do not expect sexy win-win solutions. Which team is willing to seek the services of an injury-riddled, expensive, and ball dominant 30 year-old who has not played in almost two years? Besides the Knicks. That’s too obvious.
Sad! Salary Dump Swap: Trade Wall for Blake Griffin
After overpaying two Denver Nugget backups, Detroit asserted themselves as the your-guess-is-as-good-as-mine players of free agency. Both fits are clunky pairings with recent draft picks. The Wizards have frontcourt overlap with Griffin, Rui Hachimura and rookie Danny Advija. The Pistons have positional overlap with Wall and Killian Hayes. The following trade has been discussed according to Zach Lowe.
Griffin earned second-team all-NBA honors two seasons ago, but fell off a cliff for Detroit last year. The former Lob City big man averaged career-lows in scoring, rebounding, shooting and efficiency, and appeared in only 18 games due to a plethora of injuries. So why do it? Griffin’s max contract expires a year before Wall. The trade could allow Washington to rebuild on an expedited timeline without forfeiting draft picks.
Thirst! OKC Wanderlust for Draft Assets: Wall and Picks Traded for Two Vets
By trading Russell Westbrook and Paul George, Thunder General Manager Sam Presti began hoarding draft picks like Depression-era farmers would stockpile harvests into jars.
Oklahoma City receives two first round picks, and Presti attempts to redeem Wall’s trade value for another haul next year. Kind of like what happened with Chris Paul. Plus, both players adds depth in positions of need on the wing and the middle for the Wizards. This would increase their chances of qualifying for the postseason, fulfilling recent Bradley Beal statements.
The Wizardly Reunion Nobody Asked For: Otto Porter Returns to Washington
Washington matched a Brooklyn Nets offer sheet in 2017 that inked Otto Porter Jr. to a four-year, $106 million contract. The 2013 lottery pick distinguished himself as one of the most efficient jump shooters in the NBA that season. He finished top ten in true shooting percentage, three-point percentage and offensive rating.
However, on the brink of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, Porter confounded Washington fans. In game six of the semifinals against Boston, he was held scoreless in 35 minutes. Although Wall and Beal led the Wizards to force a game seven, their third-best player was a wallflower. Players who sign eight-figure deals should never go scoreless in a playoff game. That includes you, James Harden and Paul George.
Washington acquires Porter and a rim protecting asset in Wendell Carter Jr. Chicago receives a pass-first backcourt mate for Coby White and an electrifying transition partnership with Zach Lavine.
Stay Tuned…
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