John Wall (Photo : Streeter Lecka / Getty Images Sport)
With Team USA hogging the limelight, the NBA trade rumors have taken a backseat for the meantime. However, there are some rumors about teams that could have a problem down the line, like the Washington Wizards.
The Wizards went all in on the Kevin Durant courtship which lasted almost two seasons and for a moment in time, the prospect of Durant choosing them seemed real. In the end, they could not even get a courtesy meeting.
Does that speak volumes on the future of the Washington Wizards? Rant Sports seems to think so, as they admonished Wall to actually consider demanding a trade.
"John Wall should seriously consider his prospects with the Washington Wizards," RS writer Dave Daniels said. "They are a franchise going nowhere fast, and the PG must think about how long he wants to be involved with them. His running mate, Bradley Beal, has proven to be made of glass during their time together, and it might be best for both parties to play on different teams."
That sounds outrageous as Wall is the face of the Washington Wizards, but the former Kentucky star has been outspoken with his complaints. He was once critical at how Reggie Jackson signed a contract that was the similar amount to his own. It is intriguing what he thinks of teammate Beal's contract of five years, $128 million. That's a long way from Wall's $85 million deal of the same duration. What's more, center Ian Mahinmi is actually paid more than he is now.
Wall would understand that the contracts are huge because of the salary cap situation but nevertheless, it must sting him. There are proposals that the Wizards should extend Wall, similar to what the Houston Rockets did for James Harden.
However, according to Bullets Forever, the Wizards can't do that because they are capped out for 2017 and 2018 (primarily because of Beal's huge contract). That was why the Rockets made their move before they got capped out.
Along with being unable to extend Wall, the Wizards' cap situation also prevents them from being players in free agency. That means they have a very thin window to improve. How will John Wall cope with this?
Wall is not as highly-ranked as Russell Westbrook or Stephen Curry but he is a certified All-Star point guard. He has three more years on his contract and that makes him a prime catch. The Boston Celtics, always hungry for a star upgrade, will likely be a suitor. The Dallas Mavericks, also starving for a star point guard would love to take a shot at him and the Sacramento Kings would want to reunite him with DeMarcus Cousins (preventing the latter from leaving as well).
Surprisingly, the Lakers would probably pass on Wall since they have their guards of the future. However, if Wall really wanted to go there, hard to imagine Tinseltown team saying no.
