NBA trade grades: Grading the Russell Westbrook for John Wall swap
Russell Westbrook and John Wall both had untradeable contracts. So the Wizards and Rockets swapped them, with Washington tossing in a lottery protected first round pick.
The NBA offseason has been wild so far. There have been wild and zany moves. Gordon Heyward signed with the Charlotte Hornets. First-team all-name squad member (and very good player as well) Bogdan Bogdanovic wound up with the Atlanta Hawks. Even the defending champion Lakers got better by not only re-signing Anthony Davis, but also bringing in 2020 NBA Sixth Man Of The Year Montrezl Harrell and replacing Dwight Howard with Marc Gasol.
On Wednesday, December 2, the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards completed a swap of albatross contracts. The former are sending Russell Westbrook to the latter, while the latter is sending John Wall and a protected first-round pick to the former.
Wall and Westbrook arguably had the two biggest albatross deals in the league. So it’s quite fascinating they were effectively traded for each other. Yes, the Wizards did surrender a first-round pick, but it is pretty heavily protected.
The 2023 first-round pick is lottery protected for the Wizards. If it doesn't convey in that year, it has a succession of protections that include picks Nos. 1-12 in 2024, picks 1-10 in 2025 and picks 1-8 in 2026, sources said. If it hasn't conveyed as a first-round pick to Houston by 2026, it becomes a second-round pick in each of 2026 and 2027, sources told ESPN.
Before I grade this trade, let me be frank. I’m strictly going to grade this trade based on each player’s on the court impact. Don’t worry, I come to praise John Wall, not to bury him.
John Wall means so much to the DC community. He was a part of the DC community’s heartbeat and pulse. Wall has been an outstanding community leader. As a very casual Wizards fan, I’m going to miss the heck out of John Wall no matter how this trade ends up looking. He deserves a far better fate than the one he’s been dealt.
Washington Wizards
When the Wall for Westbrook trade rumors started around the NBA Draft, there was talk the Wizards would have to part with more assets to get Westbrook. I hated it. This trade, though it’s better, is still a bit of a head scratcher.
One thing Westbrook has over Wall is his durability. Wall is coming off two significant injuries (an ACL tear and an Achilles’ injury). He didn’t play at all during the 2019-20 season and it’s been nearly two full years since he has played in an NBA game.
Westbrook’s coming to a team with a familiar man behind the bench - Scott Brooks. Brooks coached Westbrook for seven years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Westbrook knows Brooks and Brooks knows Westbrook. That’s definitely a positive. Westbrook had some incredible seasons with Brooks and maybe a change of scenery helps raise his play.
This trade is going to hinge on several things. First, the relationship between Westbrook and fellow backcourt member Bradley Beale is critically important. The dynamic between Westbrook and James Harden with the Rockets simply didn’t work. That’s why the Rockets were so willing to move Westbrook. Beale does a lot of great things off the ball and Westbrook is somehow who needs the ball, so maybe they can complement each other.
Secondly, how much better are the Wizards with Westbrook? Can they build a contender around Westbrook and Beale? Can Dāvis Bertāns continue to be a significant contributor off the bench (and perhaps as a starter as well)? Will Robin Lopez help the Wizards improve defensively? How many of their young players are ready to step up? On paper, the addition of Westbrook should put them in the playoffs conversation. But keep in mind on paper, the Rockets were supposed to be unstoppable with Westbrook and Harden. Yet that wasn’t the case.
Grade: C. In a vacuum, this is likely the best trade the Wizards could have made involving John Wall. It doesn’t mean I have to like it. Westbrook’s best years are likely behind him. Adding Westbrook unquestionably makes the Wizards better. But does it make them title contenders? Probably not. And even if Westbrook replaces Wall on the court (and I believe he will), he won’t replace him off of it. That counts for something.
Houston Rockets
Good heavens the Houston Rockets are fun. Another year, another trade for an expensive point guard. Daryl Morey, who stepped down as the Rockets GM earlier in 2020, paid expensive prices to bring both Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook to Houston.
In: John Wall, 2023 protected first round pick
Out: Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, Darrun Hilliard, DeAndre Liggins, Lou Williams, Kyle Wiltjer, and 2018 first round pick Omari Spellman (Chris Paul trade); 2024 first round pick, 2026 first round pick, right to 2021 first round pick swap, right to 2025 first round pick swap (Russell Westbrook trade)
New general manager Rafael Stone’s first significant move is a bold one. The Rockets are banking on John Wall meshing well with James Harden, who still might be on his way out of Houston. Wall, when healthy, isn’t quite as good as Westbrook, but he’s pretty darn close.
There’s just one problem. Wall hasn’t been healthy recently. Remember, he literally has not played a single second in the NBA in two years. Wall’s coming off two injuries that can haunt players too. He relies a lot on his athleticism, so it’s fair to question which John Wall the Rockets are getting.
I love that DeMarcus “Boogie” Cousins and John Wall are reunited. They were teammates with the Kentucky Wildcats back in 2009-10. Heading into the 2009-10 season, Wall and Cousins were respectively ranked the best and second-best prospects of the 2009 class by Rivals.com. Led by Wall and Cousins, the Wildcats made the Elite Eight. Both Wall and Cousins left after one season.
That Wildcats team was so much fun to watch. While Wall and Cousins are older now and they are no longer the dynamic forces of nature they were 10 years, it will be a lot of fun to watch Boogie and Wall on the same team again.
Grade: C-. Look, I love John Wall. But he’s not an upgrade over Westbrook even if he comes back fully healthy. Maybe Wall is a better fit with Westbrook than Harden. The Rockets better hope he is. But a “win now” team just got objectively worse. This trade will look even worse if Harden ends up being traded and if Wall struggles to stay on the court. Those two things make this trade a significant risk for the Rockets.