Landing Point Update for Washington Wizards Guard John Wall | Launderer report

We’re on the verge of whether an NBA contract is truly non-tradable.

Washington Wizards guard John Wall, who owed around $ 133 million over the next three seasons and sidelined for nearly two full calendar years, wants out.

The now public request came amid talks between Washington and the Houston Rockets, proving that at least one team responded to a possible trade with the Wall with more than laughs and a quick hang-up. Discussions have stalled, but at least there have been discussions. It’s something.

It is however revealing that the proposed contract, Russell westbrook‘s, is on the very short list of offers as obnoxiously expensive as Wall’s. The Wizards and Rockets were basically discussing the possibility of trading costly problems.

This is where we need to begin our search for plausible landing points: with teams that have equally horrific offers on their own books. From there, we may be able to expand the list to include organizations that are desperate to make a splash.

New York Knicks

The New York Knicks didn’t fill their void in the draft, opting instead for local product Obi Toppin with the No.8 pick. If they don’t land Fred VanVleet in free agency, maybe the prospect of starting the season with Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr. as the only playmakers on the list would prompt a rash decision.

Throw Ntilikina, Julius Randle, and Kevin Knox II in a bundle, and the Knicks, who have a cap at the moment, could get Wall’s money back without a problem. The only question then would be how much interim capital Washington would need to include to close the deal.

A pair of first-round picks, perhaps 2021 and 2023, might be enough.

If Wall still has one of his old bursts, he could inject some excitement into a team that needs it. Toppin is a solid finisher, and his transition skills would complement Wall’s open floor speed well. Again, that assumes Wall has more juice.

Normally, you could say that Wall would electrify Madison Square Garden. That he would give Knicks fans someone to cheer on. But without fans in the stands, much of Wall’s potential New York appeal goes away.

Orlando Magic

Wall wouldn’t help the Orlando Magic quit the mediocrity treadmill, but maybe he could at least make jogging more interesting.

Orlando’s offense has not been remarkable, ranking in the bottom third in the league in points per 100 possessions in each of the past four seasons. Wall, aside from giving the Magic a big name on the marquee, could also bring a punch.

The playmaker’s assist percentage has ranked in or above the 92nd percentile at its position every year since 2012-13, so Orlando could get the ball movement and facilitation they lacked. And with Nikola Vucevic offering a decent stretch at 5, Wall’s unreliable jumper wouldn’t cut the spacing too much.

Considering Magic just spent a year with Markelle Fultz and her even less trustworthy shot at the head of the series, Wall’s filming flaw won’t look so bad.

Fultz and Aaron Gordon could be the main pieces of a business package, although Orlando would have to find a few more dollars to grow the money. And like the Knicks’ hypothesis, that would likely come down to the amount of project compensation the Magic would demand to take Wall’s money.

Washington sent Gilbert Arenas to the Magic ten years ago. Maybe Orlando is looking forward to a second shot on an injured and disgruntled Wizards playmaker.

Houston rockets

I’ll be honest: I don’t see how Wall makes more sense in Houston than Westbrook. But the two have basically identical contracts and neither wants to be on their current squad. A Wall-for-Russ exchange both makes too much sense and makes no sense.

Not that Westbrook has the best health, but given Wall’s injury history, it might be possible for the Rockets to recoup some of the draft picks they gave up in recent trades. Wall and a protected first for Westbrook feel about okay.

Many of the same adjustment issues Westbrook brought to the Rockets would accompany Wall. That said, Wall took down 37.1% of the bottom in his last semi-healthy year, 2017-18. He’s 32.4% for his career, which looks awfully good compared to Westbrook, who has failed to break 30.0% of three in each of his past three seasons.

Defensively, Wall has always been better than Russ. Even though Achilles’ tear undermines much of the 30-year-old’s quickness, history suggests that Wall will at least make an effort to keep his man and pay attention to the ploy, something that can’t be said consistently of Westbrook.

If James Harden leaves first, it would suddenly be easier to build a sane Wall-led team around whatever Houston brings him. Squint, and you can see something interesting with Wall leading a rebuilt Rockets squad.

Maybe after surveying the league, the Rockets and Wizards will realize they don’t have better options. It’s a dark thought, but trying to swap a pair of athletic addicted, 30-plus, non-shooting point guards totaling unfathomable contracts is a dark task.

Statistics provided by NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary information via Basketball Insiders.