Houston Rockets: 3 possible John Wall trade packages

could possibly land</a>, fans can finally start thinking about where another large contract fits into the grand scheme of things.</p> <p>Wall was fine last season. He averaged 20.6 points, 6.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. His efficiency took a major hit, posting an effective field goal percentage of 45.8. This was his lowest mark since his second season in the league. Combine that with his brutal health track record and his enormous remaining contract ($44.3 million this season followed by a player option at $47.4 million) and quickly the market for his services becomes murky at best.</p> <h2>Houston Rockets guard John Wall has become the newest former star to request a trade to another situation. Can anyone trade for him and his contract?</h2> <p>In all likelihood, a buyout will be the only way Wall ends up on another team anytime soon. Both sides are claiming that is not coming, so for now we will take them at their word. Instead, let’s try to figure out the teams that could reasonably trade for Wall, would have reason to do so and attempt to justify the move. For the Rockets, if they can get anything back for Wall they should jump at that chance. Wall is a solid mentor for the young players but wants to win and should still be able to contribute somewhere.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/15/houston-rockets-3-john-wall-trades/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_432271" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-432271" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/15/houston-rockets-3-john-wall-trades/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1196,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1325671758.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1196" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1325671758.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1325671758-768x574.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Houston Rockets (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Trade partners for John Wall and the Houston Rockets: LA Clippers</h2> <p>This is the type of move that would have made much more sense before dealing for Eric Bledsoe but follow the reasoning. The LA Clippers are in need of a primary ball-handler and have been since putting together the team around Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Bledsoe is the newest attempt to fill that role after Reggie Jackson experienced one of the hottest stretches of his career. Wall getting a chance to play again with his former University of Kentucky teammate Bledsoe (and DeMarcus Cousins should he re-sign at some point) would be a fun wrinkle.</p> <p>This would take a bundling of contracts that would be easier to move going forward for Houston. Reggie Jackson is a solid point guard for them to have around their young players on a significantly smaller contract. Marcus Morris Sr. would fit perfectly if he bought in, adding shooting on the perimeter and toughness to the roster. He would also be easily flappable for draft compensation down the line. Then there is Luke Kennard.</p> <p>Kennard is closer to the timeline for the rest of the Rocket’s roster, still only 25 years old. He would be reunited with former Detroit Pistons’ teammate Christian Wood and would slide into the role that is currently filled by the imminently tradable Eric Gordon. The Clippers could also attach a few second-round picks to entice the Rockets to take on longer salaries.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/15/houston-rockets-3-john-wall-trades/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_435515" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-435515" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/15/houston-rockets-3-john-wall-trades/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2134,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1308354975.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2134" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1308354975.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1308354975-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Houston Rockets (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Trade partners for John Wall and the Houston Rockets: Dallas Mavericks</h2> <p>In the classic move to swap albatross contracts to hope that a change of scenery changes the future for both sides, the Dallas Mavericks have been looking for a way to move on from Kristaps Porzingis for months. They also were in on the pursuit of Kyle Lowry this summer, assessing the need for a secondary ballhandler next to Luka Doncic. Wall is more expensive but is on the books for one season less than Porzingis, making it appealing for the Mavericks to be flexible sooner.</p> <p>For the Rockets, they notably passed on a big man at the top of this season’s draft to take Jalen Green. They brought in Usman Garuba and Alperen Sengun later in the draft but taking a chance on Porzingis still makes plenty of sense. Sengun needs a partner next to him who can stretch the floor. That is what Christian Wood is there to do, but that is one skill set the team should not be afraid to duplicate.</p> <p>Making the money work would require the Mavericks to also ship out Dwight Powell, a small price to pay to cut a year of committed salary off their books. Giving Wall a chance to play under Jason Kidd may be what is needed to unlock the type of change that reinvigorates his career.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/15/houston-rockets-3-john-wall-trades/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_435516" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-435516" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/15/houston-rockets-3-john-wall-trades/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1296743677.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1296743677.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1296743677-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Houston Rockets (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Trade partners for John Wall and the Houston Rockets: Philadelphia 76ers</h2> <p>Before reading any further, this trade is not something the Philadelphia 76ers should consider. The return out there for John Wall, albeit diminished compared to where it was a season ago, should not be this low. However, doing something like this allows the Rockets to fix the mistake they made when they chose Victor Oladipo over Ben Simmons when considering a trade.</p> <p>Simmons would be able to come into a clean slate situation and would be playing with arguably the most shooting in his career. He would be playing alongside a big man who can stretch the floor and the type of scoring prospect that could lead the league in scoring in a few years. Tyrese Maxey is part of a package deal at this point, considering how Klutch has made it apparent that they are done doing business with the Sixers if they can help it.</p> <p>In an attempt to defend the move for the Sixers, they would bring in a willing passer who can play well in transition. His defensive issues would be covered by the players around him. While he has never been a knockdown shooter, she did shoot 37.1 percent from distance in 2018. More importantly, he is a willing shooter and would keep defenses honest. This would also open up a roster spot, potentially for a reunion with former Sixer J.J. Redick?</p> <div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="NBA free agents that need to be signed immediately" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/14/2021-nba-free-agency-5-players-signed/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/15/houston-rockets-3-john-wall-trades/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/09/14/2021-nba-free-agency-5-players-signed/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> NBA free agents that need to be signed immediately </a> </div> </div><!—pageview_candidate—>">