NBA GM: Nets a ‘Viable Destination’ for 5-Time All-Star on Buyout Market

Getty John Wall goes for a bucket against the Brooklyn Nets.

The Brooklyn Nets are in a groove as they find themselves at the top of the Eastern Conference, something that was expected of them as they came into the season.

Even without the services of Kyrie Irving, the Nets have still looked like title contenders after sliding James Harden over to the point guard position. In an ideal world, he’d be playing shooting guard while Irving handles the offense, but that’s not how things played out for the team.

The team does potentially have some options going forward to acquire a point guard, and it could be an unexpected name. Houston Rockets point guard John Wall has recently said he wants to play this season after sitting out the whole season.

However, the Rockets seem happy to have him sit on the bench, but with two years left on his contract, they might be forced to make a move, and that could eventually lead them to buying him out completely.

The Nets are no strangers to acquiring players on the buyout market as that’s how both LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin found themselves on the team. According to an NBA GM via David Aldridge of The Athletic, Wall would be a good pickup for the Nets if he becomes available.

Wall to the Nets

GettyHouston Rockets point guard John Wall handles the ball during a game against the LA Clippers.

After making the All-Star team five times with the Washington Wizards, injuries have practically derailed Wall’s career, but there’s still time for him to revive it.

While he likely can’t be a first option for a championship contender, he can still be a viable role player for a team loaded with a talent. This is why teams like the Los Angeles Lakers or Nets make sense for player like Wall.

Reports have said Wall wants to start on the Rockets, and if he came to the Nets, he could potentially get that opportunity. With the Lakers, they have Westbrook so he wouldn’t have the same chance there.

However, one NBA GM believes that if he did find himself on the Nets, it’d be a bench role.

“One general manager volunteered the Kyrie Irving-less Nets, in a reserve role behind James Harden, or the Bucks as viable destinations,” wrote Aldridge. “That is, if Wall were playing for the minimum.”

Will Wall Be Bought Out?

GettyJohn Wall #1 of the Houston Rockets sits on the bench during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Toyota Center on October 22, 2021 in Houston, Texas.

It’s tough to say what the plan is for Wall, and his biggest obstacle is the fact that he has two more years left on his deal that would pay him more than $80 million.

That’d be a ton of money for him to leave on the table in a possible buyout, but if he wants to play this year or the next, that might be in his best interest to do. There’s not going to be a lot of trade value for the guard considering he hasn’t played this season and he’d be a cap space nightmare.

A buyout seems to be his only way out of Houston at this point, so we’ll have to see if this train continues to pick up steam.

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