John Wall Expected To Opt In As Rockets Struggle To Find Trade Partner

John Wall is aware that he may not be able to get better money than what his current contract has to offer.

Hence, it hardly comes as a surprise that he may elect to exercise his player option with the Houston Rockets, something that would pay him $47.4 million for the coming season.

This is part of his four-year, $171 million contract. But it should be noted that despite the five-time All-Star’s opting in, it is possibly a measure to give the Rockets enough time to move him to another team as reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Had he opted out, he would have unlikely gotten a base salary near $50 million in free agency.

In all, it was a financially sound move on the part of the 6-foot-3 cager who did not play a single game this 2021-22 NBA season.

With no takers, it remains to be seen if the landscape will look better for Wall.

A potential worst-case scenario would see the 2014 NBA Slam Dunk Champion indulge in a buyout agreement with the Rockets before the 2022-23 season starts.

The scenario was discussed by Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire with Scotto on the HoopsHype podcast.

A buyout was seen as a more plausible move since Houston is not interested in taking in a bad contract via trade.

Once the Rockets can address the situation, it would give them some financial leeway.

Christian Wood, Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. don’t have anchor contracts on the books of the Rockets beyond next season.

As for Wall, his next stop remains a mystery. Although his career has been hampered by injuries, the native of North Carolina has weathered all these and has proven he can still be explosive on the court when called upon.

Wall last saw action during the 2020-21 season, playing 30 games for the Rockets. He averaged 20.6 points, 6.9 assists, and 3.2 rebounds in 32.2 minutes of action.

The NBA All-Star holds career averages of 19.1 points, 9.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds in 613 games played.