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Houston Rockets trade Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards for John Wall and a protected first-round pick in 2023, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Westbrook requested a trade earlier this offseason, and fellow Rockets star James Harden has, too. It came after the Rockets left coach Mike D’Antoni while allowing general manager Daryl Morey to step down and take over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Harden’s trade request was based on a desire to join former teammate Kevin Durant with the Brooklyn Nets, as Westbrook wanted a shot at being a true ground general and main ball manager again. In Washington, he should have that chance. While he’ll play alongside another star goalie at Bradley Beal, Beal’s excellent shooting and off-ball movement should make the two some of the best offensive backcourts in the NBA and help put the Wizards back. vying for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
That has been Washington’s goal this offseason as Beal’s free agency looms in 2022. The Wizards got Beal to agree to a one-year extension last offseason, but historically the teams have failed to keep the superstars without winning at a high level. The addition of Westbrook, an All-NBA third-team selection last year, should be a step in that direction for the Wizards.
- Houston gets: John Wall, protected 2023 first-round pick
- Washington obtains: Russell westbrook
The Rockets, meanwhile, are taking a huge risk on Wall. He and Westbrook have virtually identical supermax contracts: three years and about $ 132 million remaining. But Wall is coming out of a torn Achilles tendon, one of the worst injuries in all of basketball. Given his pre-existing injury issues, it’s impossible to say how valuable he will be upon his return, how durable he will remain, or how he will adjust to join a new team.
But the Rockets, desperate for long-term assets after giving up two first-round picks and two trades to secure Westbrook’s final offseason, have now added three first-round picks this offseason. They still have to contend with Harden’s trade demand and an unresolved roster, but at the very least, they’ve managed to restock the closet a bit ahead of what increasingly looks like an inevitable rebuild. The Wizards, meanwhile, managed to avoid rebuilding for a bit longer by adding Westbrook.
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