When the Warriors are fully healthy, they don't fear anyone. But they might take a hard look at the LA Clippers next season.
Already with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, who is expected to be 100 percent for the start of the 2022-23 season following an ACL tear, the Clippers now reportedly will add another former All-Star to their roster when free agency opens up Thursday.
Five-time NBA All-Star John Wall agreed to a buyout with the Houston Rockets on Monday, Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes first reported, citing league sources. Once Wall clears waivers, he plans to sign with the Clippers, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported a short time later, citing sources.
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Wall was set to make $47.4 million next season, but per Haynes, the point guard gave back roughly $7 million in order to secure his free agency.
Wojnarowski reported that other teams still are calling Wall's representatives, Klutch Sports, to see if Wall will change his mind, but the former No. 1 overall draft pick appears set on heading to LA.
Wall sat out the entire 2021-22 NBA season after playing 40 games for the Rockets the previous year.
As NBA reporter Keith Smith noted, when a player of Wall's caliber gets a large buyout, they have the ability to take a small contract elsewhere because they are getting paid by their former team.
While the Warriors have their own free agents to retain before they worry about filling out other roster spots, Wall on the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception would have been tantalizing for team president Bob Myers and the rest of the front office.
It's unknown if the Warriors are one of the "other teams" that were interested in Wall, but he would have filled a need as a guard off the bench. With the Clippers, he might slide right into the starting lineup alongside Leonard and George.
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The Clippers finished as the No. 8 seed in the West this season, but didn't make it out of the play-in tournament, losing first to the Minnesota Timberwolves and then getting knocked out by the New Orleans Pelicans. But they didn't have a healthy Leonard and George was forced to miss the Pelicans game after entering into the NBA's health and safety protocols.
If Wall and Leonard return to their All-Star form, the Clippers will be a formidable opponent for the Warriors in the Western Conference next season.