The John Wall saga is far from over

The Houston Rockets are stuck in a weird situation. It has come to attention that John Wall wants to play basketball instead of waiting to get traded. Although Wall wants to play, how can he fit with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. in the backcourt? As a veteran point guard, Wall believes he should compete as a starter for the Rockets, which is understandable from his perspective. Wall is a well-rounded experienced starting point guard because of his veteran skill set. However, head coach Stephen Silas did mention it could be possible Wall could come off the bench. Silas said:

“Rafael and I did meet with John yesterday. He has indicated that he wants to play. So right now we’re in that phase in terms of getting him in game shape… Right now is like the ramp-up time. It will probably take a couple weeks.”

Before training camp started, Rafael Stone and Wall had came to an agreement that both sides would wait until a possible trade happened. So far, nothing has risen towards the surface for Wall because of the huge contract he has.

This situation can become a head scratcher for Silas because of the diverse group he already has. Although the Rockets are 4-16, there are some talented players on the roster. Silas just figured out the rotation, which has resulted in a three-game winning streak. So if Wall does come back to the rotation, will it mess up the chemistry currently being built? Wall is a ball dominant point guard, who had a 31.6 percent usage rating for the Rockets last season. With a usage rating like that, it could stunt the growth of Porter’s point guard play, who is starting to get into a groove.

Wall has been great as a pseudo-assistant coach for the Rockets because of the support he shows towards Green and Porter when mistakes occur on the court. If the team becomes successful with Wall on the court, it’s because he took a needed step back.

Wall coming off the bench could pay huge dividends to the second unit and increase the Rockets’ pace and scoring, in addition to increasing his own trade value. It becomes easier to trade Wall if he plays within the role Silas has for him. He doesn’t have to be the best player nor the top scorer. The focus is to grow the talented backcourt of Porter and Green. Watching the trio of Wall, Green, and Porter could be fun because of the pace, athleticism, and quickness each player has.

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Besides Wall coming back and playing, trade interest has appeared for him. The New York Knicks could have interest in Wall because of Kemba Walker not working out. Coach Thibs mentioned to the media that the Knicks have removed Walker out of their rotation. He is only owed $8 million for two-years, while Wall is contracted at $91.7 million with two-years left on his contract. No way this trade works, unless a third or fourth team is included. The Oklahoma City Thunder could be helpful for to the Knicks and Rockets. GM Sam Pressti loves draft capital, as the Thunder are loaded up in the lottery selection for the next six years.

The Rockets’ biggest experiment is about to take place when Wall resumes his playing status. It became obvious that Wall wanted to play again because of the constant solo workouts during Houston’s practices. Although Wall looks composed on the bench, he is very anxious to play. However, my sources say there isn’t a timetable of when Wall will get traded.