John Wall was one of the most electric point guards in the NBA, bringing the Washington Wizards into relevance as their franchise player. Unfortunately, injuries cut his prime short and he’s now been out of the league since February 2023. Wall reflected on his incredible prime, saying that he feels he was the second-best player in the East after LeBron James.
“Sad thing, injuries happen; it’s part of the game. But I felt like I was the second-best player in the East that year after Bron. We were hooping, we were balling. You solidify yourself. When you get to that second max, even the third max, you feel like you made it. I’m one of those guys people talk about on the regular.”
Wall’s prime is hard to gauge, as he only had one season where he averaged over 20 points. In the 2016-17 season, Wall put up 23.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 10.7 assists over the season, being named an All-Star and notching the only All-NBA selection of his career. That season, he led the Wizards to 49 wins and a second-round exit in the Playoffs.
The All-NBA selection was what enabled Wall to sign one of the largest contracts in NBA history at the time, a four-year, $171 million deal. Wall had had multiple surgeries on his knees prior to the season as well, but his body started falling apart from the 2017-18 season onwards. He played just 41 games that year and hasn’t played that many games a season since.
Wall underwent a season-ending surgery on his left heel in January 2019, which officially marked the beginning of the end of Wall’s career. While healing from that injury, Wall developed an infection in the incision from the surgery and also suffered a ruptured left Achilles after slipping and falling in his home.
He would miss the entire 2019-20 season and get traded to the Houston Rockets, a team that benched him permanently after 40 games in the season so that they could tank for a high pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. They wouldn’t play him a single minute the next season either, leading to Wall spending the year as a healthy scratch on their bench.
Wall would sign with the Clippers for the 2022-23 season, but would fail to find a home there either, being waived midseason after averaging 11.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. He’s now fighting for his NBA career, failing to land a roster spot for almost two years now.
John Wall Worked Out In Front Of Darvin Ham
Wall hasn’t had many opportunities to return to the NBA, but one may surface with the Milwaukee Bucks after Wall was seen working out in front of new Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham.
John Wall works out in front of Darvin Ham 🔥
(🎥 @swishcultures_/@TaylorSportsGrp) pic.twitter.com/GA2DoCFhcG
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 16, 2024
The Bucks have a thin guard rotation, currently featuring Damian Lillard and Delon Wright. Wright provides strong 3-and-D play as a bench player, something Wall hasn’t been known to do. He’s an on-ball creator who is a weak shooter, making his utility as a rotational player very low.
The Bucks are bereft of quality depth on their roster, so Wall could be an intriguing addition. But there are better point guards still on the market, so prioritizing Wall as a signing would be a bad move for the championship contenders.
Unless some team values Wall in a veteran role, it seems he will not be back in the NBA. If he doesn’t play again, it would be an unceremonious retirement for the five-time All-Star.
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