John Wall will get a buyout from the Houston Rockets of the final year on his contract and will sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, Yahoo! Sports and ESPN reported on Monday.
The five-time All-Star exercised his $47.4-million option for 2022-23, but the reports indicated he will give back around $7 million for the right to hit free agency. It’s the same amount he would receive if he signs elsewhere for the midlevel exception.
Wall, 31, was once one of the NBA’s top performers, but injuries waylaid his career. He appeared in a combined 73 games in his last two seasons with the Washington Wizards, 2017-18 and 2018-19.
His four-year, $170-million extension kicked in at the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign, but he missed all of that season because of a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Wall was dealt to the Rockets on Dec. 2, 2020, along with a 2023 lottery-protected first-round pick in exchange for Russell Westbrook. Wall played in 40 games for Houston the rest of that season, averaging 20.6 points, 6.9 as-sists and 3.2 rebounds.
He made $44.3 million in 2021-22 but never saw a minute of action, with the Rockets preferring to pay him not to use him as they focused on younger players. The team reportedly attempted to trade Wall during the season but was unsuccessful.
Selected first overall by the Wizards in the 2010 draft out of Kentucky, Wall spent nine years in Washington, averaging 19 points, 9.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds.
The Clippers (42-40) finished in eighth place in the Western Conference in the just-concluded season but failed to make the playoffs after losing twice in the play-in event. One of their two stars, Kawhi Leonard, missing the entire season due to a knee injury, while Paul George was limited to 31 games because of an elbow ailment. — Reuters