Rockets' John Wall to exercise $47.4M player option
John Wall's representatives informed the Houston Rockets on Tuesday that the five-time All-Star point guard will exercise the player option in his contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. It's an unsurprising decision — which was reportedly made months ago — as Wall is now set to make $47.4 million in the 2022-23 season, although it appears unlikely he'll earn it with the Rockets.
Wall, 31, sat out the entire 2021-22 season due to a disagreement with the Rockets over his role. The point guard reportedly wanted to start for the team, while Houston wanted him to come off the bench. Wall publicly voiced his frustrations with the situation during the season.
While the Rockets were reportedly planning to trade Wall before the start of the 2021-22 season, no deal came to fruition, and the team finished the year with an NBA-worst 20-62 record.
With the team in need of a full-scale rebuild, keeping Wall doesn't make sense for either party. His lofty salary could make trades difficult, though, and a buyout may be necessary. According to Charania, "both sides are expected to work through a resolution" soon.
Wall spent the first nine seasons of his NBA career with the Washington Wizards before he was traded in December 2020 as part of a deal that included Russell Westbrook. Wall played 40 games for the Rockets during the 2020-21 season and averaged 20.6 points and 6.9 assists.
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