Despite their 1-12 record, the Houston Rockets have bigger problems to worry about than their win-loss record this season.
In December of 2020, the franchise finally gave in and traded their long-time superstar James Harden and also supporting star Russell Westbrook. In return, the Rockets welcomed John Wall, a 5x All-Star who is still looking to return to his prime form.
At the time, the move was hailed by fans and analysts alike, as it was a way to keep the Rockets somewhat relevant in the wake of their Harden-sized loss.
But now, even though he’s perfectly healthy, Wall isn’t even playing for them as the Rockets look to maximize the development of their young talent.
Worst of all, he’s owed roughly $91.7 million over the next two seasons which, to put it into perspective, is nearly identical to what Michael Jordan earned over his entire career with the Bulls.
Of course, it’s important to note that, back then, Jordan was making ridiculous amounts of money for his time, especially later in his career.
Let’s put this into perspective. When Jordan was paid his $33 million in salary during the 1997-1998 season, Patrick Ewing was paid just over $20 million, while Horace Grant was the third-highest paid player in the league at $14 million. When Jordan won his first championship, that season he was just the eighth-highest paid player with guys like Chris Mullin and Hot Rod Williams being paid more.
Compared to his current peers, Wall’s got the third-highest salary in the league, ranking ahead of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and even LeBron James.
Amazingly, the dude is making more money than 99% of his fellow players but hasn’t played a single lick of basketball this season.
It really puts the whole situation into perspective in Houston and demonstrates just how committed they are to their young guns.
