John Wall reportedly wants to be traded. Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard denied that Wall requested a trade.
What’s actually happening?
ABC 7 Sports:
Did John Wall request a trade from the Wizards? @ScottABC7 asked the guard to set the record straight. pic.twitter.com/j0jFHF6vzw
— 7News DC Sports (@7NewsDCSports) November 24, 2020
That “no comment” seems awfully telling. If he wanted to remain in Washington, Wall could have easily said so and put this matter to bed.
Wall has been working hard to rehab from injury and return to the Wizards. He and Bradley Beal were looking forward to playing together. I can see how it’d rub Wall the wrong way to get mentioned in Russell Westbrook trade talks.
But Wall also has arguably the worst contract in the NBA. He’s 30 years old, hasn’t been healthy in years and is due $132,932,520 over the next three years. His deal carries even more negative value than Westbrook’s.
So, even if Wall wants a trade, what are the Wizards supposed to do about it?
More importantly: How does Beal feel about the situation? (I wonder whether Beal getting elevated to franchise player affects Wall’s dissatisfaction.)
Training camp is rapidly approaching. Wall doesn’t have to directly answer these questions publicly (though as the reporter pointed out, fans are quite curious). But at some point soon, if still on Washington’s roster, Wall will have to show more of his hand.