John Wall and the rebuilding Rockets agreed he wouldn’t play for Houston this season. The Rockets also reportedly probably won’t trade or buy out Wall until at least next summer.
If it sounds like Wall will sit the whole season… that’s because Wall appears likely to sit the whole season.
It has seemed likely for nearly two months Wall wouldn’t play in the NBA this season. Did something happen that increased the odds even further? Or has it just become more likely because more time has passed without a surprising development?
Wall’s $44,310,840 salary makes a trade very difficult to construct just in terms of salary matching. The $47,366,760 he’s due next season makes Wall a severely negative-value player.
Though a buyout is possible, Wall would understandably be reluctant to sacrifice his guaranteed money. Likewise, Houston might not be rushing to buy him out. If Wall gets bought out, his remaining salary would become an unmovable cap hit. If kept until next year, Wall would be at least hypothetically useful in a trade with his large expiring contract .
It’s somewhat surprising Wall and the NBA are each on board with this plan. He relished returning last season after missing two full calendar years due to injury. The league has sometimes cracked down on teams sitting healthy players.
But the 31-year-old has declined considerably from his prime and ended last season hurt. It’s not certain he’d even be worthy of a rotation spot if the Rockets were trying their hardest to win, anyway.
That said, it’s tough to assess Wall’s current ability while he’s inactive -- a status that appears unlikely to change any time soon.