After just one season, Russell Westbrook’s time with the Houston Rockets has come to an end.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, they’ve officially struck a deal to trade the star point guard to Washington D.C. for John Wall and a first-rounder.
Houston has agreed to trade Russell Westbrook to Washington for John Wall and a first-round pick, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 3, 2020
Source confirms: Houston traded Russell Westbrook to the Wizards for John Wall and a 2023 protected first-round pick.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 3, 2020
Westbrook has been in trade talks for weeks now, following a disappointing finish to the 2019-20 campaign. With the Wizards, the idea is that his game will mesh with sharpshooter Bradley Beal to vault into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
In Houston, the Westbrook/Wall swap is their attempt to re-tool their roster around James Harden, whose own commitment to the club has fallen under doubt in recent weeks. With Wall, and several big other offseason acquisitions (that include DeMarcus Cousins, Trevor Ariza, and Christian Wood), they hope it will not only help convince Harden to stay, but also that it will keep them in the hunt for a title.
It will be interesting to witness how the swap impacts these two clubs this upcoming season.
