HOUSTON — Russell Westbrook is headed to the Washington Wizards and John Wall is moving to the Houston Rockets in a significant swap of point guards — one an MVP, the other a No. 1 overall draft pick — just weeks before the season starts.
The Wizards shipped a future lottery-protected first round pick to the Rockets on Wednesday night.
“Having the opportunity to acquire a player of Russell’s caliber and character was something that we could not pass up when looking at both the immediate and long-term future of our team,” Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard said in a release. “With that said, the decision to part ways with John, one of the greatest players in franchise history, was extremely difficult. What he has meant to our organization and our community is immeasurable and will not be forgotten.”
While Wall has played his entire professional career in the nation’s capital, the move ends Westbrook’s tenure in Houston after just one disappointing season. He arrived from Oklahoma City in July 2019 for Chris Paul and draft picks.
The Rockets had hoped that the 32-year-old Westbrook would be the final piece they needed to win their first title since winning back-to-back championships in 1994-95. But instead, Houston was eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the Western semifinals. Westbrook was the 2017 NBA MVP and is a nine-time All-Star, but has failed to win a title.
Many questioned whether the pairing of two ball-dominant guards like Westbrook and James Harden would work in Houston, but the longtime friends insisted that it would. After the Rockets were sent home from the playoffs early again, rumors started to swirl that the two weren’t happy in Houston and both wanted out.
But after spending years building their entire team around Harden, who won MVP honors in 2018, the Rockets weren’t interested in parting with him. This move could be new general manager Rafael Stone’s way of appeasing Harden so the Rockets can continue their quest for a title this season instead of rebuilding without the superstar. Stone was promoted to GM last month after Daryl Morey stepped down before quickly taking a job with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Westbrook-Wall deal works under the NBA’s rules because the two players are owed about the same amount: Each gets more than $80 million over the next two seasons, plus each has a player option of more than $45 million for 2022-23.
And both were looking to move on.
Wall, the No. 1 overall pick out of Kentucky in the 2010 draft, became the face of the franchise for Washington, a five-time All-Star who repeatedly helped get his team to the playoffs.
But Wall’s Wizards never reached 50 wins in a season or made it past the conference semifinals.
Wall, who is 30, has averaged 19 points and 9.2 assists for his career.
He has been troubled by injuries of late, appearing in only 41 games in 2017-18 because of left knee surgery, then just 32 in 2018-19 because of a left heel problem that required an operation. While recovering from that, Wall tore his left Achilles tendon and sat out all of last season.
Agency: LeBron James inks contract extension with Lakers
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James has agreed to a contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers.
James’ agency, Klutch Sports, confirmed the deal Wednesday during the first week of training camp for the NBA champions. The Lakers are still finalizing their new contract with Anthony Davis, who is also represented by Klutch CEO Rich Paul.
The Los Angeles Times reported James’ extension is a two-year, $85 million deal through the 2022-23 season. The four-time NBA champion is getting the maximum deal to extend his tenure in Los Angeles, where he moved two seasons ago after his second stint with his hometown Cavaliers.
James’ previous contract ran only through the upcoming season with a player option for 2021-22, allowing the third-leading scorer in league history to become a free agent next summer if he chose. Instead, James reportedly committed to play through his 20th NBA season with the Lakers, where he moved in 2018 after title-winning tenures in Cleveland and Miami.
James turns 36 years old in four weeks, but the 16-time All-Star’s level of play hasn’t dipped even slightly after 17 seasons in the league. Davis and James teamed up last season to win the franchise’s 17th championship in the bubble in central Florida. James averaged 25.3 points and led the NBA with 10.2 assists per game last season before winning the NBA Finals MVP award while beating the Miami Heat in a six-game series.
The Lakers are returning this winter with a roster that looks even better than last season’s group on paper, with veterans Dennis Schröder, Montrezl Harrell, Marc Gasol and Wesley Matthews joining the rotation around James and Davis.
Under the terms reported by the Times, James will make more than $39 million this season, more than $41 million next season and more than $44 million in the final year of his new deal, during which he will turn 39 years old.
The Lakers have a history of rewarding superstars in their later seasons, allowing them to finish with the franchise rather than forcing Lakers icons to make difficult decisions about how they will wrap up their careers. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and Kobe Bryant all finished their Hall of Fame careers with the Lakers rather than making a late money-grabbing pit stop with another franchise.
Los Angeles famously gave a two-year, $48.5 million extension to Bryant when he was 35 years old in November 2013. The deal was criticized at the time for its largesse compared to Bryant’s diminishing dominance, but owners Jeanie and Jim Buss felt the contract was an appropriate reward for Bryant’s contributions to the franchise.
The new deal for James currently carries none of those concerns, since he is still a matchless player even after spending half of his life in the NBA.
James has career averages of 27.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists over his 17 seasons, and he stayed close to those marks in points and rebounds last season despite becoming a 6-foot-9 point guard who won his first NBA assists title.
James and his family already appeared to be comfortable with a long-term future in Los Angeles. James is increasingly involved in media production in Hollywood, while his oldest son, Bronny, is on track to graduate from private Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth in 2023.
Davis is all but certain to re-sign with the Lakers this week, and the delay is widely interpreted as part of talks between Davis and the Lakers about the best way to keep the team in championship contention over the next few seasons. For instance, Davis could structure his deal to allow Los Angeles to pursue a third superstar in free agency next summer.
James’ agreement on an extension guarantees Davis will have an invaluable teammate for at least the next three seasons if Davis chooses to stay that long. James made remarkable alterations in his game last season to become a playmaker running the Lakers’ offense and clearing space for Davis to excel.
