:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69857613/1232277289.0.jpg)
After one year as a member of the Houston Rockets, it appears that John Wall’s time with the franchise is coming to an end. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Wall and the Rockets have agreed to work together in hopes of finding the five-time All-Star a new home ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Per Charania, there are no plans for a buyout between Wall and the Rockets. Wall will attend training camp with the organization but will not play a game for the Rockets — citing that Houston does not want to jeopardize his health. NBA training camp is set to begin on Sept. 28.
The inevitable departure of Wall signifies that the Rockets will move forward with Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. as their backcourt starters for the upcoming campaign.
The Rockets traded for Wall in December as a futile attempt to make one last push at an NBA title with James Harden — who requested a trade to the Brooklyn Nets prior to the start of training camp. In 40 games last season — seven with Harden — Wall averaged 20.6 points, 6.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds for the 17-55 Rockets.
Despite the constant losing, Wall proved he still had something left in the tank with the Rockets after a two-year hiatus due to an Achilles and knee injury.
During the Rockets’ final press conference in May, second-year general manager Rafael Stone mentioned that Wall ”was fired up” about the possibility of returning to Houston for another year.
At the start of the offseason, the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers were rumored to be interested in trading for the 31-year-old point guard should the Rockets make Wall available.
Before joining the Rockets, Wall spent his first 10 years as a member of the Washington Wizards — who drafted the Kentucky prodigy with the No. 1 overall pick during the 2010 NBA Draft. With the Wizards, Wall averaged 19.0 points and 9.1 assists over 573 games, establishing himself as one of the NBA’s top point guards from 2013-2018. The Rockets acquired Wall in a trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Wizards.